RE:Animorphs 1 - The Pretender
by Vickie1
Summary: "Someone's found out our secret." Tobias discovers the unlikely alliance of two individuals the Animorphs never expected. A different take of the originals with elements from the fic, the Sario Effect. Summary and details in the chapter. R'n'R! What if: the Animorphs discovered a Yeerk acting differently from all the others? What if: Tobias' cousin was someone real?
1. The Change

AN FANFICTION RETELLING OF K. A. APPLEGATE'S ANIMORPHS

 **RE:ANIMORPHS #1**

THE PRETENDER

By Vickie-believe

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Cover image link in AO3 version: AO3url / works / 15841887 / chapters / 36892611

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"Someone's found out our secret."

Tobias has a lot to deal with. First, he gets these weird deja vu moments. He also hears about a long-time cousin looking for him. Then there is a mention of his father's last will and testament. it doesn't help that he crosses paths with someone from school who recognizes him. A Controller. With a criminal Yeerk.

But this Yeerk is different - she talks to herself. stays away from her people, and acts strangely. What's more, Tobias starts to learn about her and her host that will shake everything he knows about himself to the very core...

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 **CHAPTER 1**

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My name is Tobias.

That's my name. But that alone can't really tell you much. All names don't, do they?

What's in a name?

Really, I'd like to know. I've known two Rachel's in my life and they are very different from each other. Nothing about the name says who they are, what kind of people they are. One was rather whiny, pretty obnoxious. The other is the bravest person I know. One had dark hair and green eyes. The other is blonde, with eyes as blue as the sea. Nothing but a name in common.

Nothing except that they were just two girls.

I know a Jake, Marco and Cassie too. From first impressions, you'd never think this Jake is the leader we rely on to make the most difficult choices. Or the comedic Marco is a ruthless tactician - the ends justify the means. Or that the Cassie is a pacifist struggling in a war. You would even be surprised to meet someone with a name like Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. That name doesn't belong to a human. It belongs to an Andalite. We just call him Ax.

Names are funny that way. Parents choose the names for us at will, and we get stuck with them.

My mother named me Tobias.

And does my name say anything about me? Does it tell you I'm a boy with dark blond hair? Does it tell you I used to be picked on at school? Does it tell you my parents are gone?

It's just a name, right?

It doesn't tell you that I no longer have blond hair. It doesn't tell you that I don't worry about bullies anymore. It doesn't tell you that I have feathers. That I have talons. A hooked beak perfect for tearing flesh.

Tobias is just my name. And my name says nothing about who I am. That I'm a hawk flying with the thermals.

A name can't tell you that, can it?

I let the current carry me across the city. I was enjoying the quietness, watching everybody move on like little ants. I even spotted a small person on a yellow bike, riding down the road my friends and I used to take.

And the nostalgia hit me once I looked further ahead of that little human. Twenty, thirty feet away.

The abandoned construction site. Where it all happened.

I wasn't always a bird. I was born human. I was human once. Then one night, my life got turned upside-down. And I wasn't alone. The names I mentioned? They were with me that night. Our lives were changed completely when we saw a damaged spacecraft land in that same abandoned construction site.

And the one who changed our lives emerged from that ship. An Andalite prince.

Elfangor.

He was the one who told us the truth. That there was a secret alien invasion happening right under our noses. And with his last ounce of strength, he gave us this incredible power to morph. To touch an animal, acquire its DNA and to _become_ that animal. To stop this invasion.

This power isn't a privilege. It's also a curse - you can only stay for two hours as an animal. If you stay too long, you're trapped. You become what the Andalites called a _nothlit_.

I'm that example. I overstayed the two-hour time limit. I was trapped in the body of a red-tailed hawk.

So I'm not human. I'm not the "wimp" Tobias.

Who's invading us? It's the Yeerks. They are parasite slugs who enter your brain and enslave you. And they are among us. Elfangor was trying to stop them with his fellow Andalites in our solar system. Now it's our turn to do just that with this power he's given with his life. It's all we can do to save this planet from the bad guys.

That's what the Yeerks are, all of them - the bad guys.

At least, that's what I've always thought.

We've had a few run-ins before. Cassie once helped a Yeerk and in turn, that Yeerk created a Yeek Peace Movement. But that didn't meant we could drop our guard. Everyone and anyone could be a Controller.

It's all black and white. But like I said, names don't tell you everything. What I'd discover a few days later, it changed my perspective.

But right then, up in my clouds, my thoughts were on the site. I landed on top of a roof, high enough to see the place in all of its glory.

It's been more than a year and nothing has changed. Just the torn down police tape.

I still remember it like it was yesterday. And it still stung a little. Because that's where Elfangor died. For us. Maybe for this planet.

I was the one who understood the severity behind his words. I was the one who said to the others, we had to take the morphing powers. I was the last one to leave Elfangor that night. We had to flee before the Yeerks could come for him.

I didn't know how to read Andalite expressions at the time. But I didn't want to leave him alone. Then he took my hand.

He said something that shocked me. Frightened me.

I ran and hid with the others.

Then…

Hawks can't cry. They can't feel like humans. But I felt that sting. I shut my eyes to block out that terrible scene.

It still was fresh in my head. Like a living nightmare.

Then I felt a bit guilty. Because I had ran from Elfangor out of fear.

I honestly wished he had lived. That we had done something to save him. Just a bit longer. We didn't know much about him. Only what his brother, Ax, told us.

I guess...I wanted to say sorry to him.

He's gone now. There's nothing I could do. Except be a hawk and put those feelings away.

That's who I am. Nothing can change that.

I took off to the sky again. Far away from the site. There's no more reason to go there. Besides, the Yeerks could still be watching that place - waiting to catch five kids who were there that night.

Back to the meadow. Back to my home.

My life now isn't living under a roof with comfort and food like anyone. My home is in the trees by a nice meadow, in a world I have to kill in order to eat. To survive.

Nothing was easy, of course. It never had been. It was going to be a difficult upcoming week for sure. Cassie had told me a minor drought was coming. I told her it'd be alright for me. Plenty of mice and rabbits this time.

It didn't take long for me to get on my branch, my perch. I was home.

And hopping as quiet as possible in my meadow was a rabbit and its family, five babies. I had long marked their burrow.

Then I felt it.

This weird sense I've been through this before.

Someone was coming. To take my home.

I panicked. I searched around. Where? Where was he?

Then I spotted him. It was like looking into a far-away mirror. My own reflection. The angry, yellow-brown eyes. The wickedly curved beak. The sharp talons dug into the bark of a branch, a hundred yards away. The length of a football field.

That was a pure hawk. A real hawk invading my home.

And I was the kid trapped inside. The unique misfit creature named Tobias.

I was shaken. Not because I had an unwanted guest. But because all of this felt familiar.

I shook my head. Which was probably weird for any human to see. A hawk shaking its head.

Everything's fine. I'm just feeling wistful, I told myself. _I'm just dealing with what happened last week._

Yeah. Tomorrow would be just a normal day for me.

A normal day of a red-tailed hawk for me.

* * *

A/N: Hello all! I have started my new series called RE:Animorphs (not...that original tbh).

The reason for this is I had decided to stop Sario Effect and revamp that into something new but with a brand new megamorph under that title. The problem I struggled with was putting too many ideas into one book as a start and it didn't leave any room for character developments and world building. I was very restraint with the limits I had. Thanks to a great, helpful friend from the Animorphs community, he suggested that I should spread them out and work towards the Sario Effect (renewed). It was a needed change that has given me not only reediting of certain plots but more windows I never thought of taking.

Ironically, I didn't plan to choose Pretender as a first book. But the what ifs involved were very interesting to give it a shot and explore.

I want to thank a lot of people for their help. 1. I wanna thank Artisan219, writer of the Animorphs Reboot for the suggestions and support over the Sario Effect. 2. I wanna thank Kara, my great Animorph bubby, for beta reading the chapters before release and also long time support. 3. I wanna thank dreamlover and Taku Kelmut from the Animorphs Discord for helping me brainstorm on plot elements. And lastly, I wanna thank the Facebook and Discord groups for the amount of support and enjoying the previous Sario Effect, as well loving my two OCs, El and V'trix. Thank you all for so much help and I wouldn't have gone this far without you all.

I hope you'll look forward to the first book of RE:Animorphs. The first three chapters are coming next real quick.

Btw, I have created a three page cover for this book. While sadly, FFN doesn't allow urls and I've only have the first cover as preview here, you can see the full version in my AO3 under the same name. Look it up and I hope you'll enjoy it! The link's details is mentioned above.


	2. The Exceptional

**CHAPTER 2**

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The next two days weren't going swell.

It wasn't about saving lives or sabotaging the Yeerks. It was kinda on a personal level.

I am a hawk. A kid trapped in a hawk's body. Like I said before, I needed to hunt to eat. And that was sitting on a branch, waiting for a twitch of a grass stalk or a head pop up and swooping in quickly for the kill.

Remember I said to Cassie I'd be fine with this drought? Ok, I take it back. Food was getting a little scarce. It didn't help that I had competition. The other hawk had gotten my mice and two of the rabbit babies during his uninvited stay.

I should have done something when I felt his presence on the first day. Drive him out.

And yet I didn't do anything about it.

I should have. I mean, I have powers far greater than that other red-tail. I could be anything else, even become the red-tail's predator. But I didn't.

I could have confronted the other hawk. Square it out. But I didn't. I do nothing and go hungry.

The rival wasn't the only one I felt weird with. Even the mother rabbit with her surviving babies was giving me the willies.

No, hawks shouldn't be afraid of rabbits. That was dumb. Sure, rabbits were tougher than small prey. They have hind legs powerful enough to knock you out silly with a kick. That was one consideration I had.

But every time I spotted them, this anxiety crawled back to me. Like I needed to avoid them. Why? I've hunted many times before.

This wasn't the first time I'd had a similar experience too. It started a few weeks ago. I was getting weird flashes like waking dreams.

I would be closing in on my prey and suddenly, I was finding myself in the mind of that prey. Panicking. Feeling my small heart throb loudly. Wings and talons above me, diving in on me.

Then I was back. Back to myself. Tobias the hawk.

It sounds crazy but it's how I felt. What's more, ever since that I returned to my meadow, it's been getting worse. The feeling that this isn't my first time.

It was ridiculous. I was starving myself. This is my life, my meadow. I shouldn't be pushed over because I was terrified by prey bigger than mice. The meadow was running short of prey and a family of rabbits had to die so I could live. Stop being afraid, Tobias.

Now you get what I mean by names not telling you much? The name, "Tobias" used to mean wimp. That nice guy teachers liked about back at school and girls felt sorry for.

And this other hawk was seeing that old "Tobias" resurface. He was ready to make a move on me, take the advantage and shove me out from my home. I was _failing_ as a hawk.

But it seemed like my blunders have alerted the mother rabbit back to station. One hawk makes a screw-up and she hurries to her babies. Then she spots the other hawk and give a good warning kick at him just as he dives.

In the end, neither of us were getting any kills that day.

I could just go get help from the others. Ask Rachel and the other Animorphs, my friends. But that was real pathetic. I didn't want to go begging for help with a situation I should be able to handle on my own.

So I tried again. Shoved those thoughts as far back as possible. I hadn't eaten the entire morning. I was desperate.

I couldn't really help but feel a bit impatient on my branch, in my tree. My stomach was demanding me to get food. Now. It's not like I could go to a store and grab an easy TV dinner like everyone would.

I took a deep breath and kept watch. Waited. Listened. I had to let the mind of a hawk take over for me. With my telescope eyes, I scanned the grass tightly for the tall tale signs of life. One of the babies.

It sounds harsh. I may be a hawk now but I know that people - humans - would be horrified by me eating a baby rabbit. They'd say logically, I should go for the adult female. Less inhumane.

But the thing is this meadow isn't some Disney film with talking animals. In fact, it's more like that one dark show I remembered seeing once. The one about laboratory mice. It was pretty deceiving for an old animated movie but it was also a close representation of my meadow.

The mother rabbit needed to survive and keep the babies alive. If one goes, the rest do too. She just had to live to breed again.

More babies for me to sink my talons and beak in. So that I could eat and live.

I waited. And waited. And I looked across the meadow and spotted him. The other hawk. He was also waiting too.

I wasn't like him. A pure hawk in every sense. I could easily take him down with morphing powers and be unmatched. An easy win.

(No,) I said to him. Or maybe it was to myself. And an animal like him wouldn't understand anything. (I'm not going to stoop that low. We'll do this the normal way. Hawk versus hawk. Not Tobias versus you.)

Not the wimp guy. The old me wouldn't kill my own food. The current me must dive down and rake the sharp talons into the neck, the brain. Stop its breathing. Its heart beating. Even if...I've already begun feeding on its tendons.

That's the true meaning behind the name, Tobias. This Tobias. This strange, unique creature.

Movement!

A break of the grass stalk. The baby got spooked by something, shrinking into the ground. Not by me. My opponent wasn't looking down from his perch either.

Good. Because this was my kill.

I opened my wings, caught the breeze and flowed low across the yellow grass and swaying wildflowers.

 _Tud-tud-tud_ went the tiny sounds of padded feet.

A flash of brown darted underneath me. There it was. My prey. And it hadn't noticed me. I had complete focus. I was ready.

Seconds. Just a few seconds.

I cut through the air with a flip of my tail and a sharp angle downwards. Now was the attack. The hunt. I spread out my wings as I dropped onto the baby rabbit, talons wide open and ready.

In a few seconds, my talons would close-

Then black, beady eyes stared back at me. Ghostly. Terrifying.

(Aaaaahhh!)

Suddenly, I was scared. Helpless! Frozen with terror! The sun was gone above me, engulfed by wings. I could feel giant razor talons creeping over me, like a god from Norse legend was coming after me.

I screamed. I lost my balance and headed for the ground. Hard. Beak first. Just like a plane crashing down.

I was a hawk again. But I was grounded and without prey.

I panicked, flopping madly around. I spotted the mother rushing over to me. Revenge. Protection over her baby.

Then I felt the shadow come back over me.

No! It really was a bigger bird!

(Help!)

The shadow darted past me. I heard a shriek - a small squeak. The mother stopped. One second. She bounced away to her two babies. The third one was gone.

She never saw the shadow appear. I didn't either. And it drifted back up to a branch.

That was _my_ perch.

A third hawk. A third one had come to my meadow. Maybe that was why my opponent didn't jump on the attack - he spotted this newcomer in the sky.

But that was bad news for me. I had two opponents now. And this third one was getting too cozy at my tree!

I wanted to tell him to leave. Shout out in thought-speak and spook him off.

But I didn't.

Instead, I was in a staring contest with him.

From the looks of it, this hawk looked older. I could tell. I've seen older ones before. His whites were more splotched, spreading out as his other colors were dimmer. Or maybe because he had an old look on him. Experienced. Better than my other rival. Better than me.

No, that was stupid. This is my terrority. And old hawks like him, they were easy to scare off. Show them who's boss and they'd quickly flee. Because they know they don't stay a chance against a hawk like me.

It's the healthy ones that were dangerous.

He then looked away, snapping me out of our contest. Down to the prey in his talon.

I was insulted. He really was going to eat on my perch. _My_ perch.

Then suddenly, he dropped the dead baby.

What? That was a deliberate drop. He didn't _accidentally_ let go of it. And just like that, he soared off. Off my perch and off to the sky.

It was like a joke. Trying to show me off what this old bird could do. It was like salt pressed hard on my wound.

I was angry. Frustrated.

 _Fine. Be that way, you stupid, senile hawk._

I left my meadow.


	3. The Effect

**CHAPTER 3**

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I left the meadow. I had to.

I think I was going insane. I sometimes wonder if I really am a nutjob who thought I was a hawk. Locked up in a straitjacket, inside a padded room. But can a madman know if they're mad? Can they even acknowledge about going insane?

So was I going mad?

No...maybe… Yeah, I was. Maybe that should be a good thing. Then I could forget about these feelings.

Why? Why didn't that old hawk eat it?

Did he just feel pitiful at me?

 _Ok, Tobias. Now you're bordering close to insanity. You just thought that hawk took pity on you._

But that was the thing. The word, pity.

I hated it even more. Was he really thinking I'd take his pity gift? I should have shouted at him to keep it. Or give it to the other rival. I could get my own food.

Yeah. I was definitely going mad.

It was still early afternoon. Everything was quiet in the housing development below me. Kids were leaving school for the buses, more chattering than they would be in the morning. Parents were still at work.

Then I saw it on the edge of a road.

It wasn't that fresh, maybe dead by a couple of hours old. It was a raccoon with its back quarter smashed flat by a tire.

Roadkill.

I've seen older, weaker, unlucky hawks eat roadkill. It happens. I just never went for it.

But it was...alright. It was a warm day so maybe the flesh could still be warm. All I could see was the trail of ants. No maggots yet. Or maybe the eggs were already there.

I wished it was breathing. It's stupid, I know. But something was getting more dangerous than my weird feelings the moment I saw the carrion. It had been there - getting meaner by the second.

I was hungry. All predators with a small food resource would. And there were two options: find food or let the mean hunger win.

I lowered down. I pretended it was still alive. Still worth being stalked on. I think I was close to the edge where a carcass stops looking dead to me.

I circled lower and lower, ignored by the humans elsewhere. It was still a decent kill. Yes, kill. A pointless, weak excuse to call that raccoon.

But I was so hungry. My hunger was winning this argument.

I had to eat to live.

I dropped down with talons stretched out. There were no cars on the street. Nothing to stop me from going for the kill. Maybe because I wanted to pretend that it's still helpless prey.

Then something yellow came into my tunnel vision.

No!

"Whoa!"

I forced myself back to the sky. Angrily, I gazed down. Someone had to be riding their yellow beach cruiser bike along that road.

The person in a white and pink parka didn't stop, even when they nearly had a face full of feathers thrown at them. They briefly glanced over their shoulder before turning back.

And up ahead was a familiar person.

Rachel!

She was walking along the pavement, schoolbooks under her arms. On a sweet, sunny day like that day, she was beautiful. In the middle of typhoons, hailstorms and mud slides, any natural disaster, she would still be beautiful. More magnificent.

Oh, god. I had forgotten she'd come by this way. If that rider didn't nearly run me over, she would have seen me eat roadkill. She would have been shocked, embarrassed for me.

I was actually thankful I didn't just drive my beak into that raccoon's stomach and pull out its liver.

As the rider got closer, Rachel waved at them. "Hey."

So she recognized this person, probably from school. The rider looked about her age but I couldn't see much with that hood over her head. I lowered myself down to the trees.

"Heya, Rachel." The kid pulled the brakes. "What's up?"

"Just heading home. You're off for a delivery?"

"Yup. First one today. Actually, good that you're here." The kid pulled a piece of paper out from their pocket. "I've been trying to find this place for the last fifteen minutes. Thought I might have taken a wrong turn."

Rachel's eyes narrowed tightly as she read the paper. She read it again. "I've walked down this route every day and there is no such address."

"Wait, really? That can't be."

"Are you sure this is the right address?" she asked. "Maybe you wrote it down wrongly."

"No, this is what the guy on the phone told me."

Rachel folded her arms with a frown that I've always found quite cute on her. "I think you got pranked, Elle."

"Pranked?" The kid examined the address again, completely baffled.

"You got asked to come deliver to a house that doesn't exist. That was a prank call."

"Really? But, but they asked for a huge lunch!"

Rachel shrugged ruefully. "I don't know what to say."

"Hmmmfp," the delivery kid groaned. She sighed. "The restaurant has never been pranked on before… Now what am I going to do with all this food?"

Their bike had a basket on the front, enough to carry three bags. I could see right at the top in one bag was a plastic container with what looked like stir fry.

(That does look good.)

Me and my big mouth. No doubt Rachel heard that because she was quickly looking around.

"Something wrong?"

She turned back to the kid. Then she smiled.

"I'll take them off you. You know how much my family loves your uncle's food."

"Are you sure, Rachel?" the kid asked warily. "It's 29 dollars worth."

"29-?! Ok, you've definitely been pranked."

Another groan out of her friend. "I can't believe someone would do that to Kong Kong's restaurant." The kid then rummaged through their basket, pulling out a paper box from the bags. "How about the steamed buns? I'll give a discount. 5.80 for six pieces all right with you?"

"Deal."

One box handed over and an exchange of goodbyes later, the delivery kid rode the other way. Back to the city.

Once the course was clear, Rachel searched for me. "Tobias?"

She didn't have to do that for me. To take pity on me. I could fend for myself. No matter how strong my hunger was begging me to morph and join her, I didn't want to show my face to her. To hear her say something that would make it all right.

"C'mon, Tobias. These buns are gonna get cold."

I sighed mentally to myself. If I'd leave, she'd never let it go. I was going to regret it either way.

I dropped down to some bushes. With a deep breath, I morphed.

Yes. I morphed. Not demorphed like Jake or the others. My human self is just another DNA I acquired, all because a vastly powerful creature named the Ellimist pulled some clever, neat tricks to make it happen.

The Ellimist is someone we've crossed paths with a couple of times. Ax's people, the Andalites know a bit about his race but not a lot. All of their information came from fairy tales. The Andalites see the Ellimists as tricksters. Unreliable beings who use their godlike power in unpredictable ways.

I guess my first encounter with him is a real-life fairy story. I was tricked by the Ellimist.

Some months after one of our first missions, after I became a hawk _nothlit_ , the Ellimist used me to help some free Hork-Bajir escape. And instead of giving what I wanted, he paid me by giving me back my morphing powers. He turned back time and brought me face-to-face with my old human self. Sleeping in my old bedroom.

Once I got my DNA, I was tempted. I could be myself again, not the hawk self, _the_ human self. I could overstay my time and be my old self forever. But it would mean losing my morphing ability too.

Or I could be that human boy for two hours and keep my powers.

But I realized there and then, all of this wasn't without a big catch. The Ellimist purposely left me hanging between two impossible choices: become human and stop being an Animorph. Or live the life I have now.

The memories came back vividly as I began to focus on that human boy. The old self I was. The resentment I had for the Ellimist came along with it. So did my indecision.

 _No, stop. Rachel's here. Don't back out now._

And just when my mind pushed those thoughts out, my body began to change.

I grew taller. I could hear bones stretching with crackling, popping sounds. They got stronger, more solid. My talons dulled, turning into pink, chubby toes. The leathery skin on my legs slipped away into beige skin.

Then my insides turned with a far-away slurping, churning sound. Feeling your internal organs change was a squirmy, almost sickening feeling, even if I've been through this many times.

My wings shrunk in feathers and grew in muscle mass. The bones longer and thicker, fingers emerging at the ends of my now-wingless arms. All of my body feathers followed straight away like a disappearing act, replaced by my pink skin and the minimal clothing I'd managed to integrate in my morph.

My beak softened, melting into my face and leaving behind charred lips. I could feel the rest of of it inside my mouth split up into teeth. The grinding resonating in my expanding skull was disturbing.

My hearing and eyesight worsened in one go. I was left feeling deaf and blind. Exposed and confused without my feathers. Without my hawk self.

I have been so used to being a hawk for so long that human senses stopped working to me. Close distances felt alien to me. All the colors humans would see were too bright to me. I was a helpless human.

Worst was the leaden pull of gravity. Sure, a hawk couldn't ignore gravity. But a hawk didn't need to stay on the ground. I didn't _belong_ down on earth. But it was like I was remade in iron and Earth pulled me down like a magnet.

...But I guess I could see it this way - that magnet was now Rachel.

I stepped out of my hiding place.

"Hey."

Rachel beamed brighter than the setting sun. And all of the thoughts I had about the feelings, the meadow, the other hawks, they just dispersed away.

She pulled out a bun from the box. "You wanted to try, right?"

I wanted to say no. Really, I did. But the smell was making my mouth salivate. Birds don't do that. Right now, I was a human, my human body slowly remembering things on its own.

So I took it. I had the first bite. Tasted the barbecued pork inside.

"So? How is it?"

"...Actually, it's pretty good."

Rachel pulled out a bun for herself. "We should go to Yan Fú Wok one day. It's got the best Chinese food there."

"With Ax too?"

Then she grimaced at that mistake. "Ok, definitely not. Mr Liang's never going to forgive us if he'd try to raid the kitchen."

She laughed. I laughed too. Even though I didn't know who she was talking about.

We shared the rest of the buns as we walked to her house. Yeah, it was kinda strange to me. Walking Rachel to her house? I've never done that before. Or for any girl.

But it was a nice quiet walk. We didn't have much to talk about but, it was still nice.

We said our goodbyes and Rachel went inside. I left, demorphed and soared into the air.


	4. The Inconsistency

**CHAPTER 4**

* * *

The next day, I checked in with Jake to see if anything was going on. Of course, there wasn't anything urgent these couples of days. Not after that horrendous matter we had to deal with.

It was a kid named David. The first new Animorph. Things didn't go well between him and us. In the end, he became like me. A _nothlit_. Trapped in the body of a rat. A prey. Forever and with no morphing powers.

Still, I visited Jake daily. Didn't hurt to be diligent, right?

Instead, he told me Rachel wanted to see me. That didn't seem odd to me. And if I really had eaten roadkill, I'd probably never show my face to her again. No, definitely. Even if she asked Jake to tell me that.

However, Jake said it was important. That got me a bit worried.

I flew over to Rachel's house that late afternoon. Not nighttime like I would always, when her sisters and mother were asleep. I guess I couldn't wait when she said it was important.

Her window was open, as always. Now and then, I'd drop by and do her homework for her. I don't know why. Maybe I had some weird desire to stay in touch with my old life.

Weird, right? Maybe that suits me.

Thanks to long practice, I swooshed silently through her open window and onto her desk.

And she was moving about frantically. From one side of the room to the other, picking up articles of clothing that looked too big for her. She held two up to the mirror, as if matching them.

"Tobias," she whispered.

(Hey Rachel. Jake told me you wanted to see me-)

"I need you to go human. Now."

I froze up. Wait, what? Hang on. What?

"I need you to try these clothes on. Jake picked these up from his house. And these are horrible picks."

I relaxed. Oh, so this was Rachel being her normal self. And this was Jake's wardrobe she was criticizing. Maybe she wanted a second opinion from a boy to help Jake out.

(Don't scare me like that. You made it sound like it's urgent.)

"It is urgent. I think. I can't really focus on anything else."

(Calm down, Rachel.) It was a side I'd rarely seen from her before. (What is it?)

She stopped, putting the clothes down. "I just heard it today. Someone has come around asking about you."

My heart skipped a dozen beats. When it started again, I had to gasp for air. (What do you mean, someone's asking about me?)

She sat back on her bed. "Some lawyer. He says he was your father's lawyer. And he represents some woman named Aria."

(Aria?) I said. (Isn't that a song they sing at the theatre?)

"Who cares what her name means?" She uttered with that impatient, "What are you, an idiot? Pay attention!" way she has. "She says she's your cousin."

(My cousin?) Ok, she got my full attention there. (Who does she say she's related to? I mean, who is her mother or father-?)

"I didn't exactly cross-examine her," she said snappishly.

I laughed. Don't ask me why. But seeing this cranky side of hers always makes me laugh.

"Tobias. He came to my mom. And asked about you."

Then I stopped. (Why? What for?)

"I guess because they are both lawyers and he needed consultancy, something about a document regarding you. What matters is he's really trying to find you."

That wasn't good.

(Ok. Now I see the important part. But what's the clothes matching for?)

She glanced back at the items in her hands, just realizing it. "Well… You're gonna think I'm weird."

I snorted. Then I got her "Oh, you seriously did not?" face. Hands on hips to reinforce her point.

(Rachel, you're talking to a hawk. We're all weird in some way.) That cracked out a smile from her. (Try me.)

She hesitated for a bit. "I felt like I heard this news before. Like it isn't the first time. But it wasn't from my mom."

(Like deja vu?)

She folded her arms and was quiet for a bit. "Yeah... Have you been feeling it too?"

I wanted to deny it. (...I can't shake this feeling I've been through something similar before. Think it's the universe telling us something?) I joked.

She didn't share my humor. In fact, she agreed with me. "With all the things we've gone through, I'd say you might not be far off. There's also the Ellimist."

Oh, how many times has he come to us and pulled our strings? It was a little annoying having a trickster god after you because this war was a game of chess to him.

(And you think this is the Ellimist playing with us again?)

"I don't know. Maybe this DeGroot guy might be another one of Ellimist's tricks. Or the Yeerks'. But as far as I know, I think he's not letting on more than he should about this cousin of yours."

(Ok?)

"And well, I figured. You're gonna have to meet up with this DeGroot guy. We don't know what he said is the truth. But Jake wants to check on this."

I didn't like that. About the others finding out about this. I didn't believe it - that I had a cousin. Why make a fuss about it?

(This could be a trap.)

"Everything can be a trap. I haven't told the others yet but you know them. Marco's gonna be all psycho paranoid and agree with you there. But for what's it worth, this lawyer sounds legit to me. He says that it was important for you to come to see him over the document he talked about."

(What was the document about?)

"He wouldn't go over the details with my mom. But he made it sound like it is important. To you."

(This all reeks like a setup. And Marco would totally take my side on this one.)

"Of course," Rachel smirked. "My mom asked me if I had seen you at school. I said I haven't." Then she winked at me.

If I was human right now, I'd smile too. (Thanks, Rachel.)

"No problem."

(Still, this document sounds baloney. My father's lawyer? I've never heard a will or anything before my mom disappeared and my dad died. It makes no sense.)

"Maybe. But this cousin might be something you should look into."

(Why? I don't even know this person.)

"Tobias, someone came to him claiming she's your cousin. And maybe that's the truth."

(She could be a Controller,) I quickly said. (She wouldn't want me.)

"Maybe she's not. And she's really looking for you."

(Or maybe she wants me to be a Controller too.) I tried to sound lighthearted. It was the absolute truth. This Aria cousin might just want me to join the Sharing and be added to the Yeerks' collection of hosts.

But a part of me saw that as a lie to myself. If she really wasn't a Controller, why would she bother about me now? Both of my parents are probably dead. I was passed around often between a drunk uncle and an aunt who couldn't be bothered with me.

No one wanted me. That's the truth for me. And I wasn't saying that to get pity or spite. I couldn't blame them, though. I mean, they didn't ask for a kid out of the blues. And when I just vanished, they took it as a blessing in disguise.

Because that's the reality for me, I just assumed this cousin of mine would also be like them. Maybe she found out about me and felt she had to be responsible. Not because we're family.

"Look. The lawyer gave my mom his business card." She pulled it out from her paper. Well, that was a surprise - her taking something from her mom. "Jake says he's getting everyone at the barn. We're all free to help check this out."

(My father's lawyer. And a woman who says she's my cousin? It's a trap. Someone has figured out who I am. Maybe both this lawyer and she are working in cahoots.)

"Maybe. Or maybe not. It's still worth checking. If she's a Controller who's after you, then we'll deal wit it. Just like always. But if she's not-"

(She has to be. Everyone is a Controller.)

"Tobias." She was stern set on what she wanted to say. "If she's not, then she might be the only real family you've got. She was in Africa this whole time and just got back. She's only found out that no one knew where you were. I guess that's why she contacted this lawyer of your dad's. To find you."

(What for?)

Rachel gave that one look I didn't like. It was small but it read pity. But her next statement hit me a bit. A blow to my gut.

"To give you a home, Tobias. A home."

I was speechless. Could it really be that?

The longer I stayed quiet, the more I was feeling bad. Because I wasn't saying anything to Rachel. I wasn't rebuking her or accepting that possibility.

I knew she wanted to give me my space. But I didn't need it. Because there was nothing - nobody wanted me and nobody would want me now.

She got up. "For now, can you demorph into human? Just to try this set?"

Demorph. That wasn't my case. I had to _morph_ to human. I let it go.

(Sure.)

She gave me the clothes and stepped out to give me piracy. Human clothes just seemed like alien skin to me. Red-tails didn't need clothing. I deliberately waited for a few minutes. Because I just couldn't accept all of it.

That I had a cousin.

When nothing happened, I morphed and put the clothes on. Jake's clothes were a bit loose on me though. And it took even longer with unfamiliar fingers. Granted, clumsy fingers are still a marvel.

"I'm done," I said quietly.

She walked back in, locking her door so that no one would drop in to see a boy in her room.

Rachel smiled. Proud of her work. "Good. You look just like Tommy Hilfiger."

I swallowed. Now I was feeling a bit blushed.

Then she looked at me seriously. "We'll find out, Tobias. If it's not what it seems, we'll figure things out. We've always had each other's backs."

Yeah. But I realized it was something I needed to do. My problem, not the Animorphs'.

But I said "Thanks" anyway.

* * *

A/N: I'm uploading the next three chapters up here at once. :D I'm really happy that for a short amount of time, you all both enjoy the art covers and the first chapters. I won't be able to upload for a while because I'll be going back to college and I'll be uploading a chapter weekly/biweekly.

Btw, if there are any issues/errors, don't hesitate to let me know. I...actually am gonna go back to the first three and check for some. X'D Cough.

Anyhow, enjoy these new three! R'n'R! These three are dedicated to Kheetor84 over at AO3. :)


	5. The Silenced

**CHAPTER 5**

* * *

DeGroot's office was a small-time law office at one of those strip malls. With one convenience store at one end and a State Farm Insurance office at the other.

It looked fine enough. But that's the thing: everything could look deceiving to you. It could still look like a trap, just not very effective. And it was a place that had nothing to hide any big morphs. That was a big problem for us.

So we could only do what we could do. Split up and survey. And I was the one going right in. Alone. As my old self.

I was with Rachel when we arrived the next day, after the others were done with school. We parted ways. She was to head to the laundromat next door of the lawyer's office. She was my first backup. So if I yelled for help, she'd head in the bathroom there, morph to grizzly bear and come straight to my rescue.

Boy, did I pity the guy who happened to be using the bathroom if she needed it.

It wasn't just us. At a Taco Bell across the street, Jake and Cassie were sitting there sharing nachos. Well, Jake was the one eating them but he looked past Cassie at me. I did a little rocking side to side, you know, to say "hi". He made a toast with a lift of his nacho.

The next backup was Marco and Ax. Both weren't together but they met at the convenience store like it was coincidence noticing each other. Marco had a drink I could have taken a dip in. He ambled over to say hello to Ax - in human morph, of course.

I found a spot behind a fenced-in dumpster. Dark and private enough for me to morph and change into the clothes Rachel had given me.

Everyone was in place. It was all set and ready.

Except for me. I hesitated. Even after morphing, I still hesitated. I only had a quick glimpse of the front window of the lawyer's office. There was a secretary sitting at a desk. There wasn't anyone in the waiting room. But no DeGroot.

So? A man's face isn't going to tell you much. Not even the most important thing - the slug hiding in his head, wrapped around his brain.

I wasn't afraid. That the Yeerks could jump on me and take me away. It's very comforting that you got a grizzly bear behind your back.

I was just mostly nervous. Of what I was going to discover. What I was going to learn. What was going to tempt me.

Tempt. Strange word, strange concept. But that's what worried me most. Temptation.

 _Enough dilly-dawdling,_ I told myself. _Get over with it._

I walked right in. And the moment I was inside, my one-minute courage was gone.

Because the secretary just noticed me. Wondering why a kid was at a law firm.

Was it too late to bail? She must have thought I'd come in to borrow a quarter for the video game at the convenience store. I peeked at her nameplate. Ingrid.

"H-Hello. My name is Tobias." Her skeptical gaze wasn't helping me. I pushed forward and said my last name. "I think Mr DeGroot wanted to talk to me."

She looked puzzled. "It's pronounced DeGroot. It rhymes with boat."

"Oh."

She picked up her phone. "Let me just check with him-"

Then suddenly, the door to the lawyer's office swung open. A man in a white shirt and red suspenders stepped out.

"Oh, who do we have here?"

"Mr DeGroot." Ingrid looked a bit surprised, less than I was at the sudden entrance. "This boy is Tobias. He says he has a meeting with you."

I looked at him up and down. _That's DeGroot?_ He looked younger than I'd expected. Like in his twenties or thirties than really old.

"Tobias!" He jumped forward and shook my hand, a bit too close for my comfort. "It's good to finally meet you."

There was an odd enthusiasm coming from him. He was too chippy for a total stranger. Was he really a lawyer?

"Don't be stiff. Come in, come in." He urged me inside. "Ingrid, could you get two Cokes for us?"

That was abrupt and quick. He never asked what I wanted. But then again, I wasn't too sure what was the right answer to begin with. What was my favorite drink?

"Yes. But you too, Mr. DeGroot?"

"It's just this one time."

Ok, now I couldn't bail out. I could scream at a moment's danger. The laundromat was beyond the wall of the lawyer's office. Rachel would need three minutes to morph and bash through it.

"Take a seat, please." DeGroot went right down to business. "I've been looking for you these last couple of days. You're a tricky one."

"It sounds like you were expecting me."

"Oh, no, no. It's part of the job," he brushed it off with a wide smile.

"Do lawyers do meet-ups with people?" I asked.

"On occasion. A bit like doctors on house calls. And this matter is really important."

No gun pulled out to shoot me, or Visser Three storming through the door. Whatever plan he had, he hid it very well.

Then I relaxed when the two Coke came in. I was too quick in grabbing for the can and taking a sip with my beak. My lips.

I've not tasted sugar for a long time. And the coldness. It was overwhelming! Now I understood how Ax felt whenever he tasted in human morph. I nearly choked from almost bursting out laughing.

"You ok?" DeGroot patted my back.

"I'm ok," I coughed, inching away from him. I was really out of practice as a human. "Just really like Coke."

"Yeah, can agree with you there." He sat at his desk. "I understand your situation a little better. Your legal guardians told me they thought the other one had you. Is someone else supporting you?"

Not something I wanted to discuss. "I take care of myself."

"No doubt. And I can see why. Your guardians were a bit shaky when I pressed them for answers. Are they treating you well?"

What answers? I couldn't ask that. The situation with my guardians wasn't really a bed of roses. In fact, I wanted nothing to do with them. I didn't want DeGroot learning anything about them or me.

I didn't know how people deal with kids who had...an unsteady family life. And I wasn't going to find out.

"They're ok," I lied. My Coke lost its taste instantly.

"Are you sure?" This man didn't know when to quit. There was a calm yet angry frown on his face. "There are people who can help you-"

"And that's putting me in an orphanage?" I said. That wasn't going to hold me. Not school, jail, or any building could stop me.

He looked pained. "No. I mean giving you justice if they aren't supporting you."

"You don't know me," I spat. I didn't need justice. I didn't need anything. And I didn't need his sympathy.

I was fine with the way things were.

That should have made him back off on the topic. It was weird. I didn't have this toughness before when I was human. I was a bully-magnet in the past.

"I'm sorry." He had a warm smile on him. "I didn't mean to step on toes."

"No," I said. I felt guilty for raising my voice. "I was out of line."

He shook his head. "You're still a minor. But we adults keep forgetting that kids like you are smarter than that."

I never thought I'd hear that from an adult. That feeling of being belittled was gone.

"So why am I here?" I said just to change the topic.

"Straight to the point. Well, here's the thing. This is regarding your father's estate."

"My father's dead-"

"No, Tobias." He leaned back, trying to find the right words. "That father you know? That wasn't your real father."

I blinked. It sounded unreal to me. "What?"

"It's a strange situation. There's this document. This firm used to be my father's. He's dead too. I was going through his clients' papers and found that he left this document behind. He wrote me specific instructions. Very specific. On the date of your next birthday, he was supposed to read your father's last statement to you, if at all humanly possible."

I was speechless. Was this really a trap? It was a weird one.

"It's a lot to take in, I understand."

Was it? I glanced back at DeGroot, seeing his concerned face. Wait, I should be surprised, shouldn't I?

"N-No, I'm just surprised." I forced myself to what I hoped was an expression of surprise. Then it occurred to me. I had a new problem.

He was going to read this document on my next birthday.

When was my birthday?

"Your birthday is on the twenty-fifth this month. Four days from now."

I gazed at DeGroot with wide eyes. "How-"

"One of your legal guardians told me," he quickly and smoothly answered.

They did? I never pegged them as ones to say anything about me. Let alone my birthday.

"Now the next...important thing." DeGroot's face darkened. Just a bit. He wasn't smiling anymore. He cleared his voice but he didn't swing back to his odd cheeriness. "A woman named Aria says she's your cousin. Your great-aunt's daughter. Seems like she's just learned about your situation."

"Oh…" I waited. "And?"

"And what?"

I frowned. "What's she like? Why is she so interested in me?"

"Well." He was struggling. One deep glance at me made him sigh deeply. "Aria's an acclaimed nature photographer. On a long-term assignment in Africa. Apparently, she wants to meet you."

"Why?"

He wouldn't give an answer straight away. "She says you're family. She wants to help you."

"Oh… Where is she?"

For a moment, I swore that DeGroot looked torn. It was short but even as a human, I definitely spotted it. Being a hawk has made me very observant of things, of the tiny little details in people.

Then he quickly brushed it off. "Oh, she never gave me the address she was staying. Must have forgotten."

I was surprised. And a bit disheartened. Really?

"Will she be at this meeting?"

"Ah...well…" DeGroot couldn't keep a straight face. "She-"

Then he stopped himself. Looked dead at me in the eye. I didn't get why.

"She'll be there. She's family after all."

I didn't feel hopeful. I was pretty indifferent about it. How much could I believe DeGroot's word? Who could possibly be a Controller?

Quickly, he dunked the rest of his Coke in one seating. He cleared his throat again. "Well, that's the end of this meeting. Just come in prepared for the document. But I don't need to worry. You look well dressed. Like Tommy Hilfiger."

I almost laughed. Rachel said the same thing.

"But you're a little thin. You've been eating well?"

"Y-Yes." No, but I wasn't going to tell him this hawk hasn't been hunting well. "I get by alright. Um...so I should come to this reading on my birthday?"

"Twenty-fifth. 9 in the morning."

"Right." It was still uncanny for someone to know my birthday when I didn't even remember. "Okay. Bye."

"Bye, Tobias. It was nice meeting you."

That entire meeting was weird. But so far, DeGroot didn't seem like a bad guy. If he wasn't a Controller-

"But this is the address. Someone here had to have ordered from us."

Standing at Ingrid's desk was a kid, with two bags of food in one arm. Wait, weren't they the same kid I saw with Rachel?

"I assure you nobody did. It is only me and Mr DeGroot in this law firm. Neither of us made that phone call."

"Maybe you forgot?"

Ingrid's eyes narrowed, making the kid step back with hunched shoulders. "If I had, I would have told you."

"Don't tell me this is happening again," they muttered to themselves.

Ingrid then turned back to her work. "I suggest you should contact the caller and get the correct address from them instead."

"But…" With a defeated groan, the delivery kid turned away. She was a girl.

She suddenly stopped and noticed me.

It was then I realized something about that expression she had. She recognized me.

"Hey. Aren't you Tobias?"

* * *

A/N: Enters one very special character of mine. (´・ω・`)

Btw, if there are any issues/errors, don't hesitate to let me know. I...actually am gonna go back to the first three and check for some. X'D Cough.

Anyhow, enjoy these new three! R'n'R!


	6. The Other

**CHAPTER 6**

* * *

I almost froze on the spot.

Someone knew who I was. But I didn't know who she was.

From first glance, she was Chinese-American and around my height, with whale-shaped eyes. She wasn't like Rachel or Cassie on clothing taste. In fact, it was sorta like trying to stay in the middle - a skull cap over her medium-length black hair, that white-and-pink parka, skinny leggings and hiking boots.

She stood out like a sore thumb. But I still didn't know her.

"Yeah." It was difficult for me not to give it away, with my voice breaking. "Sorry, do I know you?"

"Not really. We're from the same school. The girls in my class used to talk about you."

That was terrific. Someone from _school_ knew me. And the old "dweeb" me too.

"And I was mostly holed up in the darkroom last year anyway."

Well, it was true. I had no idea who she was. But then it clicked once I heard the word, darkroom.

"Wait. Are you Debbie Darko?"

She grimaced with bug-wide eyes. " _That's_ what everyone called me?"

Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? "Sorry. It's what I've heard."

She frowned even more with that revelation. "Debbie's not even my real name." Well, this was awkward. I didn't mean it. I thought she already knew.

"Ahem." We turned to the secretary. "If you're done here, miss. I need to get back to work."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "You mean wasting time doing your pointless word puzzles," she mumbled it in an odd, indifferent tone.

"I'm sorry?" The secretary had heard it, but not enough for the context. And the girl was right. I could see the black and white crosswords slip back under her folders.

The girl brought out a piece of paper, the address clearly written on it. "Someone from this office called Yan Fú Wok and I'm not leaving until I've made my delivery."

"And I've already said. No one did."

The girl's temperature in her gaze dropped down one degree. She tapped her left foot, bent on getting an answer even if the answer was no. The woman wouldn't budge.

"Let me talk to your boss."

"Mr DeGroot is a very busy man. Unless you have an appointment-"

"Of course. These little 'semantics'," she hissed quietly. "Forget it. I'll ask him myself."

That got Ingrid standing up from her seat. "You can't go in there-"

"What's the matter, Ingrid?"

I nearly jumped when DeGroot uttered from behind. I barely heard the door creak open.

"This girl has been claiming we've ordered from this restaurant."

"Yes. Someone did from this office. One mein chow, fried rice, sweet-and-sour chicken, mapo spicy tofu and eggplant," Debbie Darko read off the paper in her right hand.

"And I'll say it again. We've not ordered any takeout."

"She is right, though," DeGroot vouched. "I was too busy with work to make any calls."

The girl's stern look broke apart instantly by a widely-opened frown. "Twice in one day?" she muttered under her breath without that odd tone.

"Why don't I buy those off you?"

Her eyes perked up when DeGroot suggested that. Even I was surprised. "Really?"

"Sure. I didn't get a chance to eat actually. So this is good you're here. Ingrid, could you put the bill on my tab?"

The secretary hunched up an eyebrow. "You've never had a tab before, Mr DeGroot."

"It's just this once. I'm a bit tight today. Add a 10-dollar tip too for this girl." Before the girl could object that she wanted payment up front, DeGroot was quick to take the bags off her. "Thank you very much though."

"Uh, I...guess?" she said weakly and shrugged her shoulders.

"Would you like some, Ingrid?"

"No, I've already eaten." Then the secretary pondered for a minute. "But I don't mind a bit of chow mein."

"How about you, Tobias?"

"Uh." I wasn't planning to stay any longer past the meeting. And it didn't help that the food did smell really good. Now I wished I was out and had demorphed. I wouldn't be so troubled by my own human nose and mouth.

How long have I not eaten takeout? Or any good warm human meal? Since I was trapped? Or even before that?

"I should get going."

"Yes, thank you again for the food," DeGroot said to the girl and went through the contents of the bags. "So Tobias. Which would you like?"

Wasn't this a bit weird for a stranger to be sharing lunch with a kid like me? He was just my father's lawyer, not my friend.

"Hey, Tobias?"

I turned back. Debbie Darko was half in and half out the door.

"It's Elle. Not Debbie."

So that's her name, I thought. Odd name.

"Oh, ok, Elle." I should have said something else after that. Like a "It was nice seeing you by the way" or "I'll see you again". But other than the "Debbie Darko" reputation, I didn't know her that well enough.

The photography class only had about five students when I was still at school. Elle was one of them. You'd hear all sorts of things at school - kids described her as pretty much a quiet loner, even to her photography classmates. Rarely batted a smile.

Like I said before, names don't tell you everything about a person. The Elle I met in the office didn't act like what everyone at school said.

She pulled out a card and handed it over to me. It had a restaurant's name, Yan Fú Wok, with a small, golden-printed bird. I think it was a sparrow. Maybe a swallow.

"My great uncle runs the place. I'm helping him out this week." She grinned widely and mellowly. "Come by whenever you want. The desserts are nice."

This must be her promoting the family business. Or it could be her way of giving me a choice to come talk to her.

As bad as it sounded from me, I didn't want to know her. Not when anyone could be a Controller.

"I'll...think about it." I shouldn't have said that. It sounded like I was indecisive. That I could be hurting someone who wasn't a Controller by declining the offer.

But she just laughed softly. Didn't take any offense to that. She was out of the office with no goodbyes.

"I should get going too," I then said to DeGroot.

"Really?" I thought he wanted to push me to stay and eat. But then he shrugged. "Alright then. I'll see you on your birthday. Remember, the 25th."

"Huh?"

"The document."

"Ah. Right. Thanks… Bye."

I left the office. That whole thing with this lawyer was kinda strange. But I guess that was how he was supposed to act. Here he meets a kid without parents coming to the office alone.

Still. My birthday. Four days from now. Could he be right?

Wait, what month were we in?

I needed something. A date. Anything. Just to double confirm it.

I was about to walk to the convenience store when I spotted the familiar yellow bike, parked a block away. So Elle hadn't left yet-

"What were you doing there, _Werch?_ "

A man's voice came after the laundromat. I should have ignored it and kept on going. Carefully, I peeked around.

It was a big guy in a suit, threatening Elle.

"I was here for a delivery. Nothing else," she replied with that slight change to her tone. She had her hands in her pockets, completely unfazed by his ruggedness.

(That man was outside the office for a while.)

I heard Jake's thought-speak voice in my head. I didn't need to wonder where he was. Up in the clouds somewhere. Flying free.

"A likely story," he grunted at her. "Now tell me the truth."

(It's none of your business. Keep going,) Jake ordered me.

Yeah, I should have kept walking. A part of me didn't because Elle was there, pushed to a corner.

But I stayed for a bigger reason. That word, Werch… I didn't know what it meant but that clearly was alien talk.

"You know about that human boy, don't you?"

Elle's eyes were already narrowed but she tightened them even further. "What are you going on about? He was from the same school this human goes to. They've never met personally."

And I tensed up there. Because I knew the truth.

Elle was a Controller.

* * *

A/N: Enters another very special character of mine too! (´ ︢⓪ ω ︢⓪`)

Btw, if there are any issues/errors, don't hesitate to let me know. I...actually am gonna go back to the first three and check for some. X'D Cough.

Anyhow, enjoy these new three! R'n'R!


	7. The Outcast

**CHAPTER 7**

* * *

I felt angry. Betrayed.

That smile Elle gave me several minutes ago was a fake one. It wasn't her smiling. It was the Yeerk in her head, pretending to smile.

But I should have expected that. Anyone could be a Controller. Your parents, your friends, even someone from your school.

So I pitied Elle. She was another human trapped inside her head by a slug.

"Really? It's too convenient for you to be here," her Yeerk friend demanded.

Elle looked bored. "I do not have time for this-"

"Don't even try, _Werch!_ " His beefy hand grabbed her by her collar, nearly taking her off her feet. "I want to know now. Why are you here?"

"I'll say it again. This human had a delivery to make. I'm being the good little well-behaved Grub you Gutters want me to be."

His scowl grew tighter. He let go. "That attitude of yours. I don't understand why nobody has disposed of you."

"Why don't you ask your superiors? I'm sure they'll gladly accept your demand," she warned, her stern gaze turning icy cold in a split second. "But that's a risk you don't want to take, do you?"

"Careful, you little _y'vez_! You won't be talking once I'm done with you."

I had to be in the middle of a Yeerk argument. But this treatment was a little strange. It wasn't odd for Yeerks to disagree - we've seen some backstab each other.

The thing was...this plainly looked like bullying.

No way. A Yeerk being bullied? I found that funny.

But I also felt a bit sorry. It's weird, feeling sorry for my enemy… How could you not remember what it was like being bullied yourself?

"Please, stop before you trip over your own ignorance." Elle's Yeerk fished out the paper she had before.

"What's this?"

"The receipt for this delivery. With this exact address. I've also logged it in the restaurant's details before coming here. I don't have an ulterior motive. None you can find out of me," she explained. "The only thing you should be concerned about is that an irritating human prankster has been sending me off to odd places today. "

"Ha! A prankster. You can come up with better lies-"

"His number is written there. So why don't you start there and stop them from making pointless calls? Because you have nothing against me. No proof of any 'criminal activity'. This discussion is just to fuel your egotistical half-witted quota of the day."

"You-!"

"And besides, a Yeerk here in public," Elel cut short. "Means you were given an assignment from the higher-ups. How about stop wasting your time with me and do your job?"

That stopped him from trying to roughhouse her even further. In broad daylight. She caught him red-handed and he didn't like that.

"You want an excuse from me. I won't give it," she said. "Now. Get out of my sight."

That convincing threat was enough even for me to leave. The big man did not budge.

"I better not see you around here again," the Controller warned. And out of the blue, he turned back and poked his head out.

I should have bolted. But there was nowhere to hide. I squeezed myself as far as possible into the laundromat's door - the only hiding space I could find. Screaming in my head not to see me. No, he was definitely gonna see me!

And right inside the laundromat, I could see Rachel. She had been sitting with a magazine until she spotted me. She was ready to bolt. Come and save me.

I quietly waved at her to stay. I couldn't let her get involved. Not when he hadn't spotted me.

The Controller cursed. "He must have left. You little _Werch_. Your timing was impeccable."

Elle hmphed to herself loudly. "That is on your own accord. But it's that easy to pass the blame on me, isn't it?"

"I'm warning you, Grub. _Werch'ett_ like you should be _dead_ ," he spat. "I'm reporting you to your watcher."

She simply averted her gaze away. "Do whatever you like. I have deliveries to make."

The man clutched his teeth with shaking fists. He wanted to...I dunno, attack her or something. Instead, as a desperate attempt to have the final say, he snapped the paper off her hands, crumbled it and threw it to the ground.

With a grunt through his nose, he stormed off.

I pushed my face right into the glass panel. The only thing keeping me from losing it was Rachel, looking so worried for me. I knew she was ready to come charging out as a bear right in the laundromat at any moment. Bristles were growing on her face. The guy in charge of the place was too focused on his newspaper.

So I kept waving at her. Stay calm. Stay calm.

Somehow, the words got to her. Of course, I could have just thought-speak to her. But she knew and settled down a bit.

Thankfully, the Controller was looking straight, before he turned right. Had he done the opposite, he'd have seen me right away. But I still wasn't out of the woods. Because El hadn't left. Looking very calm for having gone through all that.

(Ok. He's going the other way. Now, get out of there before that girl sees you.)

"Elle. Are you alright?"

The languid expression relaxed, replaced by a frightened, worried look. "I'm ok. Scared but...I'm ok."

The stern face came back again with angry eyes. She spoke again with the strange tone. "It was unfortunate we had to come across a Gutter. Why can't they leave us alone..."

Hold on. Was this Yeerk talking to herself?

"Hey." The expressions and tones switched around. "Why are the Yeerks after Tobias? Is he being targeted?"

That sentence was a bit off-putting for some reason. At first, I thought the Yeerks were coming after me. The Tobias who came for the document.

"I don't know. But it's none of our concern."

"Yeah. But-"

"Elle. We cannot interfere with my people. You know the consequences."

Elle deflated. "I know…" Then she seemed to beam up. "Maybe we could tell him to stay away from any big guys in suits?"

She pondered with that brooding look. Then she shook her head. "No, we cannot risk it." She tried to say something but cut herself off. "You heard that Yeerk. Whatever reason that human child has, my people want it. From now on, we should avoid this Tobias. For your protection."

Avoid me? Weren't they the ones after me?

And protection from what?

"...Yeah. I guess it's for the best."

"Let's go do the next delivery."

She slowly trotted to her bike. She didn't see me. At least, I don't think she did.

Then I heard a small laugh. Wait, no. Did they see me-

"What's so funny?"

"Amusing that you've picked up a reputation. Debbie Darko."

I peeked carefully over my shoulder. Elle was completely facing away from me but I could see her pout. The kind when someone, a friend, teases you and you didn't like it. "Shuddup. It's not my fault we didn't want to linger with anyone."

We?

"I know." The tone was soft, a bit sad. "I guess that's my fault."

She shook her head. "No, V'trix. It's how everything is."

The wide smile shrunk down but it was still there. Just different. She nodded again as if agreeing with herself.

Agreeing with herself? That sounded weird in my head. Why would she need to do that?

I've said this before. Yeerks need to enslave humans. And once you have one in your head, you can't do anything. You can't speak, move, or even cry for help. You're locked up in your mind.

That's what I've been told. You have absolutely nothing - your body, your voice, your identity are gone. They are the Yeerk's.

Elle's Yeerk was just like any other. She controlled Elle. Elle couldn't talk.

She rode off. I didn't move until she was completely past the traffic lights.

I opened my mouth and gasped for air. I had been holding my breath the entire time. I couldn't believe I got away with that.

Then I noticed the crumpled ball. I picked it up.

The door behind me slammed open loudly as I flattened out the paper.

"Tobias! Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm ok." I was much calmer now. Now that Rachel was here. I was alright. I was safe.

She heaved a heavy sigh of relief, lopping against the window. "Gave me a fright there."

I was about to apologize to her. Trying to hide in plain sight was a stupid decision on my part. Because now I knew. The Yeerks were targeting the old Tobias. They wanted to learn my secrets. And kill me.

Then I noticed the date.

The receipt had today's date. The month. The 21st.

DeGroot was undoubtedly and uncannily right.

My birthday was in four days time.


	8. The Wayward

**CHAPTER 8**

* * *

We were supposed to head to Cassie's barn right after my meeting with DeGroot. But a Yeerk was spying on me. He was ordered to watch me specifically. So Jake quickly changed the plans - split up and meet at the barn after dinner.

Honestly, I was glad for the change of plans. Because I didn't want to meet up with the others. Not right now. I just wanted to be back in the sky. My space. My peace.

I had just found out my father wasn't my real father. I had a real father somewhere. Maybe dead. Maybe gone. This was all too coincidental. I get news about my father and some long-lost cousin shows up within days when this "will" of his is supposed to be read to me?

It was a lot to digest. I didn't want the others to know. I didn't want to sit back and explain it all to them. I didn't want to hear Cassie's optimism, Rachel's worry or Marco's abrasive doubt.

I knew the routine. Once I'd be finished saying everything, every detail would be analyzed and picked apart.

I didn't want Cassie to have me go over every word, every gesture, every expression. She has this amazing talent for understanding people and their motives. She'd want to understand all she could about DeGroot, even his weirdness.

Marco wouldn't be listening to the tiny details like her. He'd be zeroing in on all the problems and inconsistencies.

Jake would listen patiently and judge. Rachel would be the opposite. She would be pacing around impatiently. Angrily. Finding something to take action and make me safe.

That's how they are. But I didn't want all of that. I didn't want my friends thinking for me. Deciding what I felt. How I should deal with this.

This was my problem. My hope. My choice. Not anyone's. I wanted to think for myself.

Be alone.

Be free.

The sky was one option. Up here, I wasn't pulled down by my human problems. But there was one specific place, a valley in the woods, far from any hiking trail. It was a place that truly meant freedom. I've only been there twice but it was a place I could feel that.

I should go there.

And yet…

I felt like I've been there before. I mean, I've gone twice to the valley. But it was like I'd already gone there _today_. And something important was going to happen there.

Going to happen? Now I was thinking like I had some second sense. Like Cassie.

I felt like I was outside of time. Outside what should be normal for me. This all felt unreal. No, maybe it was a trick. The Ellimist was reaching out for another twist of my puppet strings again.

At the same time, I felt like something was important back in the valley. Urgent. My anxiety over my recent discovery was gone.

Should I go to the valley? Or was this the Ellimist's game again?

Go? Stay? Go? Stay?

I don't remember how long I took spinning in large circles until I realized one thing. I wasn't getting anywhere with this stupid déjà vu feeling.

 _Calm down_ , I told myself and perched on one of the rooftops. I needed a minute. Then I would drop by the valley.

Then I saw DeGroot leaving his office.

I was about the same distance away as a large stadium but my vision could see far and wide. So spotting a familiar face faraway was easy for a hawk.

I could see every move he'd take. He had his jacket on, locking up the place. I didn't check to see what time his office closed but it wasn't even that late in the afternoon.

DeGroot walked off, looking stern. Maybe he had business to attend to.

Or maybe he was going to meet this Aria character.

I shouldn't care. I shouldn't believe everything he said to me. But he didn't say much about Aria.

I was alone. A bad decision for me to be going solo on a surveillance side-mission. But like I said before, this was my problem.

 _Alright, DeGroot. Lead me to Aria. Or better yet, show me if you're really a Controller._

I had a goal now. I took off, floating along with the updrafts. My eyes were locked on DeGroot strolling down the quiet street. Nothing could escape from my sight.

He didn't look he was in a rush. You could say it was a normal afternoon walk for him. Wherever he was heading, it wasn't urgent.

No one was talking to him. Or waved and said hello to him. He was on his own. Controllers don't talk about Yeerk business out in the open anyway.

But that didn't mean nobody could whistle or pass a secret message just with a smooth exchange of the hands. I've sometimes seen shady people do that. And I definitely know those small bags aren't something good.

One person caught my attention. Because they were short and wearing a bright orange jacket, hood down and hands in pockets. I was waiting. For that one moment, I'd catch two Controllers in the act.

Nope. DeGroot ducked around a corner. And at a bad time too - a tall building had blocked everything from that point. But it was only for a second. A quick circle around and I could easily find the same person going in and out of a narrow short street.

I circled around the tall building. Out from the other side of that short street were a few by-passers, the person with the jacket included.

But no DeGroot.

Wait, what?

I swooped low over the street. It wasn't even a busy one. But sure enough, I couldn't find him anywhere. Not in the shops or by the cars or among the thin crowds. Nowhere.

I did not just lose a human in broad daylight.

I searched. And searched. Scanned the wide and narrow streets for any sign. And still nothing. He couldn't have gotten up and vanished!

But I spotted something else. Not in the streets. It was in the air.

It was just a dot in the sky to humans. Just like they'd see me as. But circling up along the ceiling of a flat-bottomed cumulus cloud was another bird. A red-tail.

A very familiar red-tailed hawk. The old hawk.

What a coincidence. Was he here to remind me of my failure from earlier?

 _Stop it, Tobias. He's a bird. Not like you._

It would be funny that he actually was like me. An Andalite nothlit, maybe. But Ax is the only surviving Andalite on Earth. And we are the only five with morphing powers.

This was just a hawk who happened to be flying the same space as I was. None of my business. Right now, I had to find DeGroot.

I steered into a 180. Maybe I missed him along the way. I thoroughly scanned every nook and cranny. And when I thought I had really lost him, I found him again ten minutes later. At one part of the city, miles away from his office.

Wait. Did he take a cab when I wasn't looking?

But I was a bit relieved. I'd never let it go if I wasn't doing a good job at following a person.

The place DeGroot was at was called the Quarter. It was sorta like our version of a Chinatown. You have everything there - Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, and some Indian and Arab. A community with many cultures you can't find elsewhere in this city.

And DeGroot stood out like a tourist.

 _Ok, DeGroot, I'm not going to lose sight of you again._

He stopped at one small two-storey townhouse at the corner of a crossroad. A yellow bike was parked outside. Its sign showed large golden Chinese characters that I couldn't read. But it had a familiar bird-shaped icon.

Then there was the English translation below the big text.

Yan Fú Wok.


	9. The Mystery

**CHAPTER 9**

* * *

The Ellimist was definitely was up to something.

I expected him to appear right inside the restaurant, sitting at one of the tables and saying "Yes, it was me all along." And he'd be snobbishly sipping green tea.

He didn't.

This was where Elle helped at, right? Way too much of a coincidence.

But maybe that might be something to look into. If DeGroot was really a Controller, I could catch him in the act. That this 'document' and my 'father' were nothing but a trap. And that it would also press on a more serious issue.

The Yeerks were after me. And I didn't know why.

I found a spot on a metal balcony next door. I could see everything through the front window. The restaurant was empty that time of the day. El was inside, cleaning the tables. At the far back, there was someone tending to the kitchen.

 _Ding!_

"Welcome to Yan Fú Wok," Elle was quick on welcoming DeGroot. Then again, she's supposed to. "Wait, you're that lawyer from earlier."

"Hello to you too!" And DeGroot was quicker. "Fancy seeing you again."

"Right." Clearly, Elle was wary of this openness he was giving. "Are you here to pay for the delivery?"

"No, no. Still don't have my wallet. I'm here for another reason," he said with a straight face.

Her mouth twisted. Not what she wanted to hear.

"Is Mr Liang in today?"

"Yes." She wheeled around. "Kong Kong."

The person at the back stopped whatever he was doing and stepped out.

Mr Liang was another name that didn't tell me much. Other than that he's Chinese. He was a tall, broad man with grey hair. He wore a casual setup of a chef with an apron. And he was a bit intimidating. Even with those small round glasses.

"Hello, Mr Liang. My name is DeGroot." He handed over a name card to him. "I'm here to ask some questions. Won't take too much of your time."

Mr Liang took off his glasses and tried to read the card with tightly-squeezed eyes.

Then Elle said something to him. In Mandarin, I think. There was an exchange of speech between her and her uncle for a minute.

"Kong Kong doesn't know English very well."

"Ah. Is it possible you could translate what I'm saying to him?"

"Sure."

"I'm representing my client, Aria. I believe you know her."

Know her?

"Aria?" Elle didn't but the name seemed to ring a bell for Mr Liang. They talked in Mandarin again. "Her daughter? Oh."

 _Who's daughter?_ I kinda wished I had that translator chip like Ax had in his head.

"Yes. I can't discuss much but I've recently come across some information that your wife is the holder of a testator's estate plans. Is she in today?"

"Uh." Elle's right hand wrapped around her left wrist. She looked conflicted and glanced back at her relative for approval.

He didn't need to understand what DeGroot said. He nodded with a tiny hint of sadness.

"Mr DeGroot," she started. "My aunt, Kong Kong's wife...she passed away four years ago."

"Oh… I see…"

I couldn't see DeGroot's face from where I was. Only the back of his head. His slouched shoulders told another story.

"Mr DeGroot? Did you know her?"

"...No. Never met her before. My apology. I shouldn't have-"

"It's ok." Then Elle talked to Mr Liang in Chinese again. He shook his head. "We don't know any estate plans. But she left everything here. I could look for it."

"If possible. My client couldn't find them on her end either. From what I've heard, her mother lived here for some time?"

"Yes," Elle replied. "Uh…what's this about, sir? We haven't seen Rebecca's daughter since forever."

Rebecca? DeGroot had said something about a great aunt of mine.

Two relatives in one day. What did I stumble on? But I stopped myself from getting excited. Or happy. Or some other emotion. She could be a Controller too. Just like El.

"You said a testator. Did Rebecca leave a will for Aria?"

"Oh, no. It's regarding a cousin of hers. The boy you met earlier."

What a big mouth. " _Oh, I can't discuss anything to you"_ \- points me out as clear as day. And to a Yeerk of all people.

"Wait a minute. That Tobias? He's Becky's nephew?" Elle uttered.

"Grandnephew. But that would make it so."

"I didn't know…" For a Controller, she was convincing. Shocked to hear about that. It made me wonder if the reason she couldn't act otherwise was because Mr Liang wasn't one himself. Or maybe it was DeGroot. Or both.

"I'm sorry for making a request. The testator's document is to be read in four days. It would be helpful if those plans could be found."

"Tobias."

At first, I thought someone else had joined the conversation. Someone knew my name. But it was Mr Liang who spoke out, cutting the discussion in half. It even surprised DeGroot.

"He in trouble?" he asked in broken English.

"Uh. No, no. He's alright. He's a healthy, fine man for his age."

Sure. Let's go with that, DeGroot.

Elle translated. Mr Liang pondered. I think. I couldn't read this old man's face.

Then he said the most unexpected thing.

"He is welcomed here," he said. "He is Becky's family. If he troubled, he is welcomed here."

"I...see. I'll tell him that, Mr Liang."

Mr Liang nodded in a dignified kind of manner. But I didn't know him. Why would he open his doors to me just like that? It was suspicious.

"Well. If you do come across these plans, please contact me."

DeGroot was less enthusiastic leaving than he was when he first walked through the door. Mr Liang returned to the kitchen and Elle was quiet.

"...Kong Kong, can I go to the study for a bit?"

He gruffed. It didn't sound mean or disapproving. He really wasn't expressive but Elle took it as a sign that she was dismissed from her chores.

"Thank you."

And she was gone from my sight. I managed to find a fire escape at the back of the building. There were two windows sharing the second level. The two rooms were very different in comparison.

One was a small teen's bedroom. Christmas lights hung above a small bed. Art pictures, Polaroid and paper stars pictures stuck on the walls like creative decor.

The other was like an explorer's messy study room. It was brimmed with old framed photos and books. There were different sorts of cameras like precious trophies and trinkets from across the globe.

Elle stepped into the study. For a moment, she took in the sights and smells before she sat down at an old desk.

"Are you alright?" she asked herself.

Elle's eyes changed from the languid kind to bright ones. "I dunno… Becky never said anything about a nephew."

She put her left hand under her chin like a detective digesting the given information. "Perhaps she never knew. Or was never told about this nephew of hers."

"Huh…"

"I wouldn't know her, Elle. You do. Did she ever talk about her family to you?"

'I wouldn't know'? There was something odd about that sentence.

"Not that I remember. Kong Kong would know better. She's not the kind to keep secrets."

"Or she was forced to."

Elle's expressions changed again like a drop of a dime. From complete focus to a look that said she never thought of it that way. "By who?"

"I don't know the answer. Rebecca wasn't selected to be a Controller within the databank, after all."

Now this was something interesting. But I didn't have enough to make a clear picture with that piece of Yeerk-related information.

"She wasn't a Controller. I know that."

Then she huffed through her nose, her left fingers tapping on the arm of her chair. "That human was very vague on the details, though."

Elle sighed. She eyed at the books around her. "Tobias' estate plans…"

"You intend to find them?"

"I don't even know where to look… All of this is Rebecca's life work."

Honestly, I had to agree with her there. Unless you knew the person well, you couldn't figure out where every single thing was in that study room.

Elle sighed in the second tone. "Indeed. This is already a challenge. Four days? Humans ask too much under pressure."

"Hm." She just glanced around, examining the shelves nostalgically. Elle got up from her seat and browsed through the photos on the wall. With gentle fingers, she took out a stash of papers from the side.

"You're going to do this?"

"I'm gonna try. Tobias is Rebecca's family… It's the right thing to do."

"And what if it's a scam? A lawyer comes, claiming that this Aria, her daughter, is looking for estate plans? Sounds far-fetched to me."

I completely agreed. Then I realized I was agreeing with a Yeerk.

"More importantly, has this Tobias human ever told you about Rebecca?"

"No."

"Then this lawyer might be deceiving him. Did he give any signs he was a Controller?"

What on Earth was this Yeerk talking about? Wouldn't she know herself who was a Controller?

"No. Nothing I've noticed. But...he was really sad when we told him."

"Emotions are not reliable. They can be obscured. And if he's not a Controller, then he could be attempting to, as you humans say, strip the cloth off this human child's eyes."

That was a weird saying. It didn't sound right to me. And I've never heard such a saying before. I couldn't put my finger on it.

"You mean pull the wool over his eyes."

Ah.

"Oh. Well, my definition is still the same. We don't know DeGroot's intentions."

"...Yeah, you could be right."

She looked convinced. Or she was convinced? Elle dropped the papers on the table. One more look at the room around her and she left, closing the door quietly.

I couldn't wrap my brain around this. Everything Elle just said didn't make any sense. The Yeerk was acting as if she was talking to her host like it was the norm.

It wasn't for Yeerks. They want bodies. This Yeerk had Elle's body in control.

Could she already know she's being watched? But that was giving her too much credit. She couldn't have known that I was actually outside, listening to every word she said.

I had to know exactly what we were dealing with. This Controller was unpredictable. She wasn't dropping her act. She didn't decide to stop being weird and be what Controllers are. The bad guys.

The window was opened. Just like how I flew through Rachel's window, I swooped right in easily. I don't know what I was looking for. Maybe some evidence that could tell me what was wrong with Elle's Yeerk.

But I stopped once I saw an old dully-colored photograph. From the 80s. A woman with wild, curly dark hair, a wrinkled forehead and a wide smile was in it.

I was surrounded by more. One had her in a leather jacket, leaning against a motorcycle, smiling wickedly with a salute. Others showed her at different places, different times. New York. China. The 70s, 80s, 90s. And in all of them, she looked like she was enjoying life to the fullest. All with a camera in hand.

This woman had to be Rebecca. So she was a photographer. Like mother, like daughter.

She looked cool. I still didn't know what her relationship was to Mr Liang or to El. Or why her study room was here. She was obviously Caucasian.

It was then I realized this.

I was in a room, full of my great aunt's memories.

And I knew absolutely nothing about her.

* * *

A/N: Heyo all, three new chapters up! These have been prepared and actually been uploaded over at AO3. If u want to catch up on more chapters, go look for the same title there. If you don't mind waiting here, all chapters will be uploaded weekly.

And yes, more into the mystery. :D I hope you will enjoy this so far.


	10. The Stranger

**CHAPTER 10**

I supposedly have a cousin named Aria. A photographer who came from Africa to find me.

Now there was this woman, Rebecca. Who was also a photographer and knew Elle's family in some way.

I guess I was curious. I was in a room brimmed with stuff from this woman. Maybe I could find out more about both of them.

But this was Elle's family restaurant. What was Rebecca's study doing here? It was like a small old-fashioned archive - really out of place.

And how was anyone supposed to find anything in this mess? Let alone these so-called 'estate plans'. I looked at the stack Elle put back on the desk.

The first one was a report on a home for the blind. Why did she have something like this?

I had to push it off with my beck to see the other papers. They all spilled over. Which was good for me.

It wasn't just about blind people: there were papers in English and different languages. Some had photos of children and strangers. Different race, different time, etc.

One document was about a family in Taiwan from the 1980s. There was a small note with delicate handwriting, black ink that read, "Can't dig further with martial law. Waiting for approval."

There was another one underneath that. But I couldn't peel it off with no fingers.

Everything on Rebecca's desk was so random I couldn't see any connection between them. The only common denominator is that all of the peoples had families.

Was she some sort of researcher? It wouldn't be far-fetched to think that this research was somehow beneficial to the Yeerks. But the dates I've read went back 30 years ago. Was the invasion that old?

(What did you do for a living?) I asked nobody. No, I asked the woman in the picture. Smiling at me. (Just who are you?)

That smile was mocking me. I had everything in this room and still, she was a mystery to me. She was someone unreachable and I couldn't just go right up to her and ask for answers.

It was despicable.

(Stop it,) I told myself. (You don't know her. She's a total stranger to you.)

That's right. I repeated those words over and over.

Maybe I wanted a reason to not...care about her. If I could find out any evidence that she was a Controller, then I could find some link that Aria was one too. That this whole 'will' was just a scheme after all.

We already know Elle is one.

But I've only scratched the tip of the iceberg. There were books, drawers, more places to scurry through. Birds don't have hands to open drawers and pry through papers.

So I had to morph-

 _Skish-skish-skish!_

I stopped. The sound was claws scratching on wood.

Cautiously, I peeked over at the door. Even in the growing darkness, I could see the light stream through the thin gap.

Poking under was one paw.

"Meow."

A cat. Geezus, I got scared by a harmless housecat.

I shouldn't be. A cat is nothing against a hawk. But they are daring, bold creatures. Every time I was in a neighborhood, one or two would want to have a stand-off with me. I was particularly a large dinner to them just as they could be to me.

Regardless, the cats would back away at the sight of me warning them. Puffing up my feathers and wings spread wide. _I'm not kidding around. I can catch you and eat you up._

But I couldn't do that. I loved cats. I had a cat too, a black and grey-striped one. My best friend. My only friend before, well, we became the Animorphs.

I couldn't imagine myself snatching down to eat Dude. Even if I was close to starving, I couldn't hunt one down intentionally. It was like some sort of loyalty to him, that I vow not to hurt a cat like him or any cats for that matter.

Unless they were dead, like roadkill...then that was a whole different can of worms.

Dude had been with me since he was a kitten. Helped me through my darkest days. He was my only true family.

But the moment I became trapped as a hawk, I knew that had to end. I knew I lost my only best friend by losing my human self.

A hawk was an enemy to a cat. And I couldn't stay an enemy to my best friend for life.

I had been his support just as he was to me. My aunt and uncle didn't even know I kept one. And they certainly wouldn't feed or care for him.

So the week after I became a nothlit, I went searching for a home. I knew one - a neighbor who was kind and loved cats just as much as I did. That one night, I led Dude to that house with my voice. You know, the usual kind of baby talk.

He followed my thought-speech. And I left him there. I knew he'd be safe and sound. Happy to live his remaining days eating kibbles.

I didn't leave without feeling sad. I was abandoning Dude but it was for the best. I had to do it for him.

I was a hawk. Not the old Tobias.

"Gingko. What are you doing?"

And in the study room, I just realized my mistake in reminiscing.

A cat wasn't my problem. A human Controller was.

"C'mere," Elle said outside. The clawing stopped. "Did you find something in Becky's room?"

And that was my queue to leave. As fast as I had swooped through the study window, I swooshed right out.

Talk about bad timing. If only I had a little more time. I'd have to come back at a time Elle wasn't there.

But before I'd take off, I spotted Mr Liang outside his restaurant, sitting on a stone bench.

Mr Liang was another strange factor into this equation. He knew Rebecca. He said those words about me being welcomed here. As if he knew me so well.

He could have learned about me from Rebecca. But I didn't like that thought - that meant she did know about me and never went looking for me.

I really didn't get it. Why did so many people suddenly want to take care of me? I didn't need this.

I was fine. I am still fine.

I found a perch across his place and watched him. He had a cup of green tea in one hand and a Chinese-looking pipe in another. I guess it was his break. And I wouldn't have pegged him for a smoker though.

 _Ding!_

Out came Elle, holding a small bowl. "Kong Kong, have you seen-"

She frowned crossly.

Mr Liang gave an apologetic nod and banged the burning tobacco out of his pipe. Like he had been caught and was willing to admit his crime without any trouble.

"You didn't need to do that."

He shook his head. "I do it. For family."

This man really had a thousand words without even speaking much. But it did confirm one thing to me. Right off the bat, Mr Liang wasn't a Controller himself. Yeerks needed healthy hosts and smokers don't make the best choices.

"The doctor said you don't _have_ to go cold turkey. Have you seen Duchess by the way?"

"No."

"Hm… Duchess, here, Duchess."

Mr Liang then pulled out a small object from his pants pocket and clicked it open.

It was something I never thought I'd see someone like him carry it. It was a small pocketwatch - the really old kind with a chain on it, that old soldiers and train conductors carry.

Has he never heard of a wristwatch?

"7 o'clock. You should go. I can feed her."

"You're sure?"

"Harran is coming for night shift. I am fine."

"Ok, ok." Elle handed the small dish over to him. "Gingko ate up his. Kandi didn't. I think she's going off to hunt again."

How many cats did she have there? And this was a place people went to eat. Aren't animals not allowed?

"Finished homework?" he asked as Elle was getting ready with her bike.

"Yup. Now I can be a hero and go look for the missing boy who got lost in the Berry cave!"

Mr Liang had absolutely no idea what that was. He wasn't alone. I had no idea too. Did she mean looking for Timmy down a well?

"It's the new game I told you. I just started it last night." Mr Liang had an idea or two and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

They said their goodbyes. But I knew the truth. That game was just a cover-up. She was on her way to a Yeerk pool or to do some Yeerk business.

It was rather sad. That his family member was a Controller right under his nose. And that's the thing. The Yeerks didn't want anyone to know about the invasion.

Mr Liang was now alone.

"Meommr."

For a few minutes anyway.

It was a muffled call. This street wasn't as brightly-lighted as elsewhere in the Quarter at this time of the day. So the glowing eyes weren't hard to find.

They belonged to a black and grey striped cat.

(Dude?)

No. There was no way. That couldn't be him. His fur color was pretty common. And the tail was shorter.

"Meommr." He had something in his mouth. The Dude-lookalike dropped it at Mr Liang's feet and proudly glimpsed at him.

A mouse.

Dude also brought me gifts like that. Though my relatives didn't like that some 'random cat' had been leaving dead animals on their porches.

Cassie did tell me once that the gifts were the cat's way of teaching her young how to hunt. I guess that's what Dude was trying to for me. Give me some early lessons.

I laughed at that thought.

Mr Liang wasn't pleased either. He had his hands on his hips. But he didn't raise a hand or his voice. Instead, Mr Liang squatted down and scratched her under the chin.

"Good girl. Good girl."

He couldn't get mad at a cat. It was in her nature to hunt, to kill. He didn't make up a storm like my aunt or uncle. Mr Liang just put the dish down and watched her chow down on the cat food.

Once Duchess was satisfied, Mr Liang sat back and she curled up on his lap. Fifteen minutes of peace and purring while he sipped the rest of his tea.

This reminded me so much of what Dude used to do. He even purred as loud as Duchess did.

I missed Dude. I really did. Maybe I should go check on him one day.

Mr Liang checked his pocketwatch one more time. He scooped Duchess up and held the empty dishes in his free hand. Time for work but he stopped for a minute to look at the dead animal.

He sighed. He was going to have to clean that up before it'd scare the customers away.

 _Ding!_

Bummer. That was a waste of food. It wasn't like the field mice I've caught before. The mouse was a little bigger, plump from living in the Quarter.

And it was still alive. Breathing. Twitching.

Yeah, sometimes cats even brought home live prey as gifts. The little guy didn't scramble away so I assumed it was in shock or injured.

It wasn't my catch. There was a nagging guilt in me that I was stealing someone else's food. Then I stopped myself. Someone else. I called Mr Liang's cat like it was a person.

A cat was an animal. A hawk was an animal. I was an animal. Not a human. Nature isn't going to bend over for me. It's brutal and harsh to anyone.

And I had to commit to nature like all the animals. I was hungry. I haven't eaten anything yesterday.

I dropped off my perch and dove in for the finishing kill.


	11. The Piece

**CHAPTER 11**

* * *

"Debbie Darko?" Marco uttered. "That Debbie Darko who sits in the darkroom in photography class all day? She's a Controller?"

We met up at Cassie's barn that evening. I was in the rafters, at my usual spot. From up there, I could see Cassie's house and the driveway through the hayloft. It was the best vantage point - I could hear sounds coming from outside, I could know if someone was sneaking up on us.

And as I had expected, the moment I arrived, Cassie had quickly and closely questioned me. I related everything about my meeting with DeGroot, watching her listen intently word by word. DeGroot's weird behavior was already a red flag to Marco, immediately coming up with about eight different ways it could be some scam.

Then I told them this new piece of information. That the Yeerks were targeting me, or this document. And Elle was a Controller. But nothing about DeGroot talking to Mr Liang, and Rebecca.

Marco then made the connection between Elle and the nickname, Debbie Darko when Cassie told him she was from photography class.

"Debbie Darko?" It was the first time Rachel and even Cassie, from the look on her face, had heard that name. "Ok, even if this is a Controller, that's kinda mean. She has a name."

"Hey. I didn't give her the Debbie Darko name," Marco defended. "Now if her name is Elegant Elizabeth, that's a name I can go by."

"Marco, that's the dorkiest thing I've ever heard from you and I'm sure Elle will hate you for it. Wouldn't surprise me if name-calling was what got her involved with the Sharing."

"So you two know this Elle person?" Jake asked right to the point.

"We know her a bit because of the restaurant, Yan Fú Wok. Her family runs it. She sometimes helps out with delivery."

Right. She talked about this restaurant before.

"Yan Fú Wok?" Jake had a grim look. "My family orders from there."

"Same with my dad." Marco frowned. He was already nitpicking at that fact. "That's not good. We've got a Yeerk walking right to our doorsteps."

"Yeah. That is a concern. We also need to know if DeGroot is also a Controller. And where this possible cousin, Aria, could be."

"I still can't believe it," Cassie said sadly. "El's a Controller."

"Why is that so hard to believe? Everyone's got a Yeerk in their head," Marco pointed, a hard tap to his forehead.

"Yeah… But I've never heard her talk about the Sharing. Just her restaurant."

"Oh really? Maybe Yan Fú Wok is a Yeerk location too. Right under their basement is a Yeerk Pool. Or a secret underground spy operation."

I didn't see anything close to those possible points back at the restaurant. But I kept quiet.

"Are you sure?" Rachel found that hard to believe. "Mr Liang's the chef, Elle's aunt and uncle run the rest of the shop. Kinda small for an operation."

"Hey, they could be like Chapman and his wife. We don't know if they're all Controllers. Maybe Tom's secretly contacting them."

"No," Jake interrupted. "My mom's the one who does the calls."

(It would be impeccable to cease making contact to this restaurant then,) Ax suggested.

"Oh, sure. I can say I don't want takeout. The only one against three other family members who do," Rachel uttered, folding her arms.

"Well, the food's good. You can't deny that," Cassie said.

(Food? It is delicious?) Ax had a bright gleam in his four eyes.

"Of course. You can try some next time my dad orders."

"Hang on. There won't be a next time. What if this is some ploy the Yeerks are doing? Using the takeout delivery system to get our family members to become Controllers?"

"Ugh, can you not make Yan Fú Wok sound bad?" Rachel groaned. "We've been ordering from that place for years."

"Hey, same for me and my dad. But it's time to move on. Controllers everywhere."

(Um.) There was one small thing I haven't told the others yet. The conversation had taken off after I told them that Elle was a Controller. (There's something you should know about this Yeerk.)

"What? That she's a Sub-Visser? A cannibalistic Yeerk cutting up the heads of people?" Marco asked.

How should I say it without sounding odd? Even I had never seen such a thing before.

(She talks to herself.)

Marco narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure she wasn't talking on some Yeerk device to someone else?"

(She had nothing on her. She kept on saying 'we', instead of 'I'. Even said a second name.)

"What kind of name?" Jake asked.

(I think a Yeerk's. It was V'trix.)

(V'trix?) Ax repeated, looking rather puzzled. (I've never heard of any planet or Yeerk spacecraft with that kind of name.)

"Maybe it's a new name the Yeerks made up," Marco was swift to give that hypothesis. And that sounded plausible.

Yeerks go by the names of where they were born from, but ended it with numbers. Like Aftran 942. And there are so many of them - the number of names can reach in the thousands.

(That isn't just the weirdest part. She wants to avoid me. Not the hawk me, obviously. The Tobias me who went to see DeGroot, I mean.)

"Avoid? Why?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, that's a bit weird," Marco interrupted before I could answer that. "She's a Yeerk. Isn't she working with that man in the suit?"

"I don't think that's the case. Didn't you say the man in the suit was demanding answers out of her?"

(Yeah. Her visit was unexpected to that other Controller.)

"It sounds like she's unwanted. An outcast."

Outcast. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel that name worked for me. An outcast to what a real hawk should be. An outcast to a human.

"Really? Aren't Yeerks supposed to work together? Take over the planet is a big thing they're doing."

"Since when has Yeerks ever been cooperative to their own kind?" Rachel pointed. And Marco agreed with a shaky nod.

"Still, it's kinda specific," Cassie said. "El's Yeerk, I mean."

"And? Our lives are already pretty specific. We're nothing but game characters," Marco continued, rolling with his own outrage. "We're going through hallways with blasters drawn and the enemies are endlessly spawning at every corner. We blow 'em up but they keep coming until you kill the Mother Brain. What's next? This weird Yeerk's gonna be like a little ally from that one game because it imprinted on the hero?"

Ax snorted angrily. (Please tell me you are joking, Marco.)

Even I laughed. A Yeerk ally. That will be the day.

"He is. He never shuts up," Rachel droned. "I mean, for goodness' sake, Marco. You were never this crazy about conspiracies before we became Animorphs. Where's the old Marco who was picking the next girl to annoy?"

"Well, who says I'm still not?" He grinned smugly, resting his chin on Rachel's shoulder.

She laughed and shoved him off.

This was a dumb, little routine they do occasionally. But I was a bit jealous. I can't have the little intimacies a human can have. Shake hands, hug, or rest my chin on anyone's shoulder.

I'm not normal anyway. Not a human. So I can't do those kinds of things.

"Specific or not, it doesn't matter about this one Yeerk. She might be crazy. I wouldn't pass the idea that's why she's shunned by her own kind. She's like those insane people at the asylum. Yeerks got nothing to hold her up so they just let her wander off," Marco said.

I didn't agree with him there. Unless Yeerk insanity was very different from a human's.

"Whether or not this Yeerk is a loonie, we do have a bit of an issue here. This Yeerk's going to our homes," Jake returned the conversation back to its original point.

"Really?" Marco uttered. "It's just one Yeerk. Like Cassie said, an outcast."

"We have a Visser with morphing powers. That is one Yeerk too. We should check Elle's Yeerk out. No taking chances."

"That's the thing. We don't know if we could be hitting a hornet's nest. I'd vouch for leaving it alone till we find out exactly what's up with this 'weird' Yeerk."

"So you agree or disagree?" Jake retorted.

"Partly agree. From a safe distance."

(I agree,) I said. I almost thought I gave it away when everyone looked at me. But I pressed on. (There's something odd about this Controller. She's not like other Controllers.)

"That's a first. A 'different' Controller," Rachel laughed.

"Well, we won't do anything if we just sit this one out. You all know the routine." Jake was already off taking the lead. Like a second nature. "Marco. Head to the restaurant and find anything about Elle's Yeerk."

"The restaurant's not where Elle stays," Rachel corrected. "She lives near the city exit in the suburbs. Four blocks from my place."

"Alright. Cassie and I will go there. See what we can find. Marco, Ax? Still check the restaurant. Inside, outside and underground. If there really is a Yeerk Pool or secret base. We also need to know how many more Controllers there are."

"Uh, dude, is that a good idea? An Andalite at a Chinese restaurant?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Fine. Cassie goes with you."

(I am not incapable of having control at locations handling human substances, Prince Jake. Neither will this 'Chinese restaurant'.)

"Oh really? Do you want us to go over how many places you 'were' in control?"

(I cannot compute what you might mean in that regard.)

"Huh, a witty remark from Ax. The world's ending," Marco blurted.

Jake just sighed heavily. Back to the subject. "Lastly, this lawyer and cousin. Rachel, you're with Tobias. Figure out if they are Controllers too."

(Aria might be a problem. DeGroot didn't tell me where she is.)

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows. "But she's your cousin, right? Shouldn't he tell you in your best interest?"

"I've said this before. He's not letting out more than he should," Rachel stepped in with a fold of her arms. Now her game was on. "DeGroot represents Aria, right? He's gotta meet up with her now and then. To talk about lawyer things."

"So what are you proposing?" Jake asked.

"I say Tobias and I go follow DeGroot and he leads us to this Aria person."

"It's a long shot but better than nothing. How many days till your birthday, Tobias?"

(Four. I think.)

"You think?" Marco said with a raised eyebrow. Then he realized I wasn't joking.

(I'm not too sure. DeGroot said my birthday's on the 25th this month.)

"That's a bit creepy."

(No kidding. For a lawyer, he surprised me. At least he never asked how old I am in bird years.) I forced a laugh. (Uh, don't ask either.)

"Well, let's hope there won't be any more surprises. We've already got our hands full with this Elle person," Jake cautioned.

No more surprises. Right.

Like me finding out about my great aunt, with my father's estate plans. But I withheld that information in. Because it was irrelevant to my situation.

It was a piece of the puzzle I couldn't see it fit in all this. Right now, I couldn't trust it. Not until I'd learn more about Aria. So that was what Rebecca was to me right then and there. I didn't know her, other than that she's Aria's mother.

She wasn't important to me.

* * *

A/N: Heyo again! New chapter is up! Hope you'll enjoy this and review/kudo! I really appreciate your support and feedback!

And yes. If anyone remembers the plot of Pretender and wonders "wait, that's not right," don't worry. ;) Like I said before, taking this story down a different path.


	12. The Secret

**CHAPTER 12**

* * *

I didn't go back home.

After the meeting, I pretended to leave. Fifteen minutes later, I swooped round back and spent the night at Cassie's barn.

Not my meadow.

Not my tree. Not my perch.

Because the other hawk was going to be there. Fighting with the old hawk over prey.

The meadow was looking very cramped. One hawk like me, a unique misfit, couldn't take down two pure hawks at once. A part of me was hoping they'd duel it out instead.

On one hand, I could take the victor out, tired from his brawl with the other hawk. On the other, the victor would be the young one. And the last fight would be me against him.

He would expect my attack. When it came, he would fight. If my attack didn't come, he would come after me. Our showdown would literally start off as a "showoff" fight. Try to scare off the other by bluffing and threatening. Then it could end up being a real fight. Talons drawn and wings beating.

And instead of going back to the meadow the next day, I decided to head to the school. I guess I needed a distraction. Some normality for once.

Then I'd go back to the meadow. And try again.

It was a little awkward going back to school. I didn't need to attend classes anymore. Or listen to the girls talk about the pitiful me behind my back. Or be forced into a locker by my bullies.

Actually, thinking on it, ok, it was nice I didn't need to go through any of that. Just that I was a hawk at school. That's awkward.

I could spot the others. Marco trying to catch some Zs before the start of first period. Cassie and Rachel said their goodbyes before heading off to their classrooms. And Jake was in the science room.

There was one more. Not one of us. I suppose she only fell under my radar now that I'd noticed her.

Elle was at one classroom. But I knew that classroom. It's for the special education. Only a couple of students with disabilities would go there. Some you could see, some you couldn't.

That wasn't right. Elle was a Controller. Yeerks didn't need disabled hosts. Why should she even be there?

And out of the blues, Chapman walked right in.

That instantly killed Elle's mood. She stopped smiling, stopped talking. I couldn't hear past windows but I could read the air. Chapman wanted to speak to her.

Of course he would. Chapman is the vice principal of my school and a high-ranking Controller. Another human infested and utterly enslaved by the Yeerk in his head.

Both of them left the special-ed classroom. Fifteen minutes later, I found them outside, at the back. No one to see the Yeerks talk.

Except me.

"For the last time. I've not seen him since yesterday."

If anyone saw them, it looked like a teacher disciplining a student. That's the problem. you can't tell they were Controllers unless you were right under their nose. Or in my case, above them.

Well, Elle actually looked the part of a delinquent. All tough-gal, arms folded and a blank stare.

"What? Did Sarric say I knew him? Or did he left out some details?" she mumbled.

"Don't turn this around. Your watcher's report states you were at that lawyer's office."

So even Chapman knew. Great.

"What is so important about this Tobias human? My human doesn't know or care about him."

"It's none of your concern, Orekor eight five one seven."

Orekor 8517? I thought her name was V'trix.

"Yet he is. Rather unusual for so much attention on one human."

"You don't need to know anything. But you've been in this school for four years now. You must know where he is."

"Now I'm your snitch for this place? Please. Stop humoring me. I don't keep track of every non-Controller in this school."

Chapman's face darkened. "Don't tempt me."

"Yes, yes. Visser Three's top lieutenant trying to shakedown a Werch. I'm sure this week's report will be pleasing to him."

"Hold your tongue, Grub!" he hissed. His patience was running thin. "I do not have time for your games."

"The feeling's mutual. Are we done?"

"Tsk. I warn you, Werch . Keep this up and the Council will change their minds about you."

Chapman was done. He wanted nothing to do with Elle's Yeerk. He turned away snobbishly-

"Pbbbbbbttt! "

Right behind his back, Elle was giving him a raspberry. Her right hand giving that kind of "nah nah boo boo!" gesture.

Right behind his back.

He quickly wheeled round, completely startled. Even I was shocked. But El was faster than him. Back to her calm, languish, uncaring stance.

"What-?!"

"Sounds like a mockingbird flew in," she murmured. Like nothing happened. "Or did your human's hearing get worse? Old age is a feared thing among humans."

Chapman turned bright red. Angry. With grounding teeth and rolled up fists. Elle's stiff expression was drilling deep into his humiliation.

He could have done something. Anything. But she stood there like she was untouchable.

"You might as well give me detention for 'misbehaving'. That's all you can do."

"You… Fine. Have it your way, you little Werch! " And he stomped off.

Elle watched him like a hawk. Like me. Careful, angry eyes locked on him until he slammed the door behind him. She waited. For any interruption. Any comeback.

Then she laughed.

"Thank you, Elle."

She grinned widely. "What are best friends for?"

Best friends? Seriously, how far was this Yeerk taking in her act?

"I guess we have detention?"

"Hmph. The Yeerks here wouldn't bother. In fact, they'd most certainly not want to be in the same room as me. We should go back."

"Nah. Miss Patch won't mind me missing first period. Besides, Chapman's not gonna explain why he kept me late, right?"

"So what do you want to do?"

"I know what you should be doing. It's the third day."

Elle heavily sighed. "I can do that this afternoon. We shouldn't-"

"Nope. You're eating. That's final."

"Really, you humans are so stubborn... Fine."

Eating. That means Kandrona Rays. What Yeerks needed to survive. Which meant she was going to a Yeerk Pool.

But instead of leaving the school, she went back inside. I waited. Suddenly, she was on the school's roof. Elle locked the door behind and double-checked if she was alone. Once she was satisfied, she pulled a handheld compact from her bag.

It was smooth-looking with a shiny silver gloss. A teal dimly-glowing circle was engraved on the top.

To anyone, it looks like a normal makeup compact. I knew otherwise. It was something alien. I didn't know what and Ax wasn't here to explain.

"Coast is clear."

"Thank you again."

Elle opened the compact, its insides softly glowing the same color as its circle. The substance didn't really look like liquid because it flowed up but it wasn't like air as it dropped back down. The motion was actually soothing. Calming.

Then she pulled out something from her ear. Tiny and dark-colored. And easily popped it right into the compact with a shut.

No, I knew what it could be.

That was a Yeerk. She pulled a Yeerk out of her head.

What? How? Why?

I just watched Elle's Yeerk willingly leave her host.

What was maddening was Elle. She was free. She wasn't a Controller anymore! Anyone trapped by a Yeerk would immediately see this as an opportunity. She could easily smash her Yeerk and never look back! Kill it!

Elle did nothing but carefully set her compact aside and pulled out a tape-player. Turned on the music and placed the headphones over the compact. Lastly, she took out a comic from her bag. To pass the time.

I could imagine it now. If Marco was here, he'd be screaming, "Are you insane?! What are you doing?!" Ax would be disgusted.

Even I was appalled. Anyone of us would want to talk some sense into her. Was she a voluntary Controller?

But the longer I observed, the more I realized Elle wasn't a prisoner. That sounds crazy but...

She wasn't imprisoned. She delicately turned the pages of her Deadpool comic, engrossed on the scenes, finger tapping to the muffled rhythm.

Then she saw me. Across the rooftop, above the gym.

I twitched. I thought she'd figured it out. That I wasn't a real bird.

No, no. Stay. You are one, I said to myself.

It seemed to work. Elle looked at me inquisitively. She quickly pulled out a Polaroid camera from her bag.

Snap!

A flash. I didn't like that. I've never liked my photos being taken. But I couldn't break the illusion. I wasn't Tobias boy. I was a hawk.

Whirrrr! The camera spit out a photo instantly. El waved it a couple of times and examined it proudly. Just when I thought it was over, she swapped the Polaroid camera for a DSLR one.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Elle was a professional. Well, she was from the Photography class. Twisting the zoom function, readjusting her position, checking for light, everything a photographer knew what to do. With just her right hand. Maybe not at the same levels as photographers like Aria. But you could see something in her eyes. A shiny gleam.

She enjoyed it. Taking a photo of something that catches her interest. You could tell it was her passion.

But I really didn't like it. Being the subject.

I wanted her to stop. I should have flown away but my talons were rooted to my perch. I was stiff as a tree.

What was I supposed to do? I should be grooming my feathers, right? Or eyeing something that looked yummy. A bird that doesn't do bird things should already be suspicious to her.

I was wondering what to do. But that's the problem. Hawks don't wonder. Only Homo sapiens wonder. They ask the questions. Buteo jamaicensis - red-tailed hawks - don't ask. Period.

Skwwwing!

The little compact made a weird sound. Elle stopped the photos and I could finally relax.

Without hesitation, she popped the compact open and her Yeerk back into her ear.

She popped it right back into her ear?! How could a person easily go back to being a Controller? Wait, another question I had - was this Yeerk like a rechargeable battery?

"Welcome back, V'trix. How was your meal?"

Elle's perky smile dimmed lightly. "Sustainable. Were you bored without me?"

She shook her head. "No. I got to catch a red-tail." She brought out the Polaroid photo. "Look, look!"

Elle's face twisted, bringing her left eye closer.

"There."

"Ah, I see it now." She gave a composed smile. "You're getting better at this 'photography' business."

Elle grinned goofily. "It's a bit hard without your help."

"And? I do not have your creativity."

"But you can help me hold the camera." She looked at me again.

It was kinda creepy. A Controller, a voluntary Controller too, was glancing at me. Looking into my soul. I knew they wouldn't know that I wasn't a real bird. They shouldn't.

Wait, why was I thinking Elle as "they"?

"Wouldn't it be funny that hawk was one of the Andalite Bandits?"

What was she? Psychic?!

Elle frowned disapprovingly. "I hope not. But they don't have any reason to come after us. It should stay that way."

"Hm." It was soft but she agreed with herself.

"The Andalites have no benefits in detaining someone like me. And I am but a nuisance to my people."

Elle packed up her stuff, the compact, her camera, everything. With a swing of her bag over her back, she was ready to head inside.

"Nobody cares for a Werch."


	13. The Drift

**CHAPTER 13**

* * *

"Tobias? Tobias?"

I realized I had wandered off in my head. I had never done that before. When Rachel called for me, I was back.

(Oh, uh. Sorry. You were saying something?)

She looked at me with concerned eyes. That made me uncomfortable. "I didn't say anything."

(Oh. Right.)

Rachel kept quiet but I could feel her worry. Why did I daze off like that, she wondered. But I didn't think she would ask. Rachel's blunt but sensitive enough, too.

I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen. A Yeerk who lets her host go while she eats and a host who brings her back into her head.

It was baffling. I hadn't told anyone yet. I didn't have a chance to talk to Jake. The plan for the day was to meet up with Rachel and follow DeGroot. Find Aria.

"Then you're ready to do this?"

She waited. I knew she wanted to ask.

(Ready as I'll ever be.)

That convinced her. Then she went into her bald eagle morph.

Rachel's a beautiful girl. Everyone says she superficially resembles those glossy images of magazine models. She's more beautiful than them in a way you know will last her an entire lifetime. She'll be a beautiful woman. But beauty isn't the only thing alone. It's what's inside that count - what makes Rachel "Rachel".

I've seen her do it countless of times before. But for some reason, this time it entranced me. No, not the right word. It captivated me.

Her beige skin breathtakingly blemished out into the trademark brown feather patterns. Her golden hair shifted and swayed into that of the characteristic white feathers for the baldie's crown. Like a warrior queen's inauguration, endorsed with a magnificent cloak of feathers.

Rachel's face was never exactly soft or inviting. That day, it became forbidding and intense. Lips turned into the eagle's huge dangerous beak. Her blue eyes were swallowed up by golden brown - the fierce glare of a raptor.

As she shrunk, her arm bones narrowed and hollowed out, feathers bursting out to create her 6-foot wingspan. She was, after all, becoming one of the largest birds in existence.

And she spread out her wings like, well, a bird version of a valkyrie. So much broader than mine. Watching her morph to this body was like seeing her soul emerge through her flesh. Right before my eyes.

Now was she more beautiful to me as a bird? No, of course not. One, eagles and hawks are two different bird species. And two, her eagle morph is male.

But to me, this body just seemed to suit her better than her own. This body was fast, strong, smart, intense and dangerous. This was Rachel.

No one can deny the bald eagle floating in the air is something special to the United States. It's the official symbol of the whole country. Everyone would be immediately drawn to it. And me? I am proud of being a red-tailed but when people see me, they'd think, is that a big brown crow?

But seeing Rachel as a eagle was-

(Amazing.)

(What is?)

I couldn't believe I said that out loud. (Oh, nothing! Nothing. Let's go.)

I think I heard a giggle behind me after I took off. I quickly found a late afternoon thermal and we rode it high up. Rachel had her wings, going almost a hundred miles an hour top speed. But I had my experience.

I'm not a braggy person but when you add human intelligence on top of bird instinct, you can do incredible things in the air a bird wouldn't do. Instinct can only take you so far. So I was able to keep up with her easily enough.

(I didn't mention this to Jake, but after we went our ways yesterday, I tailed after DeGroot,) I said.

(Already a headstart, huh?)

(Figured he'd take me to Aria. But he went to that restaurant you were talking about.)

(Yan Fú Wok? That can't be a coincidence. Think he's a Controller?)

(Nothing raises any red flags. He just went to ask for someone. I think Aria's mother knows the people there.)

(Aria's mother? Why?)

(He's looking for Elle's aunt because of some estate plans my father left to her. And it seems like Elle and her uncle, the chef, knows Aria's mother.)

(That's, that's good!) Rachel cheered. (Ok, cutting a bit close. With Elle's Yeerk. But that means you have a cousin and an aunt.)

(Yeah.) I didn't share her enthusiasm there. I was about to say the very idea of Aria made me nervous. Unsettled. And the very number of Rebecca made me, well, indifferent. A little upset.

(Were you able to see this aunt of yours?)

(Just photos. I don't know what's the connection between her and Mr Liang.)

(Huh.)

(Let's just focus on Aria.)

(Well, it's gonna be hard when we don't know what she looks like,) she added.

(We just need to follow DeGroot until he meets a woman.)

(Tobias, that's an extremely long shot in the dark. What if he has a wife or girlfriend? Or another client? Or a female lawyer?)

(Didn't you opt in on the idea to find her yesterday?) I asked.

(Completely. So commence the stalk-DeGroot plan till we find her. Can't be too hard.)

(Of course, you're talking to a professional in stalking people.) Then I thought more on that sentence. (Wait, no. That's not what I meant-)

She laughed but in a way that made me feel less of a creep. (I get it. How many times have we spied on Chapman in the past?)

(Chapman. Right.)

(What? Did you find out something from him?)

I didn't want to say anything but my tone had already betrayed me. (Chapman's involved in this too. He asked El if she had seen me.)

(He, what - well, he is Visser Three's top lieutenant. But this whole deed thing does seem like a big deal to the Yeerks.)

(Yeah… Hey, Rachel. Does Elle take special education at school?)

(Those classes? No. She's a Controller. She wouldn't have any reason to take them.)

(Yeah, but you see, about the whole stalking thing… I spied on her today. And she was at Miss Patch's class.)

(What? That makes no sense. Yeerks don't need disabled hosts.)

(It's what I saw.)

(Come to think of it, I've never seen Elle at any other classes before… Unless she was sent to the special classes for some reason.) Then I heard her grumble. (Oh, I can picture Marco putting his tin-foil cap on. That she's spying on the kids there even though she's fine.)

(Is she?)

It was an odd question that could be seen in two different ways. One is that was she really fine being a Yeerk's host. And the other was, well, was she really able?

(Are you talking about her Yeerk talking to herself? She's not the first loony Yeerk we've met.)

(Yeah.) I just ended it there. Nobody would believe what I saw, not even Rachel.

Yeerks are the enemy. No matter what, you couldn't drop your guard and feel sympathetic on them. Elle's Yeerk was a bad guy.

Or at least, I was trying to convince myself that.

(...But it is odd.)

I thought the conversation would end there. Rachel wouldn't press on because I wasn't up to talking anymore or that I agreed with her. Hearing her say that was surprising.

(A Yeerk who acts like she's talking to Elle and Elle taking special-ed. Doesn't line up.)

(Ok, so it's not just me.)

(Elle never talked about having a disability. She seems normal.)

(Well, would a Yeerk even say her host has one?)

(Would a Yeerk want a disabled host?) We thought more on it. (No. Elle has to be a normal host for that Yeerk to fully control her.)

'Full control'. The complete opposite of what I saw.

(It doesn't change the fact she's a Controller and I don't like it,) Rachel explained. (I've known her for some time. Not close like Cassie or Messlia but I know her. She… It's just unfair that she's become a host.)

I didn't need to pry further. Rachel hated it - hated that someone she knew was taken by the Yeerks. And it's not just Elle. Jake's brother is one. Marco's mother is one too. And they can do nothing about it. Not without risking our secret.

If Rachel had the chance, she would have force Elle's Yeerk out and squash it. If she could, she would free every Controller and have families be reunited.

And that's a feat I believed she could make possible.

(It's alright, Rachel. We'll stop this invasion. One Controller at a time.)

(You bet your life we will,) she said proudly. (And Elle will be her normal, usual self again. She is a schoolmate of ours.)

I would have agreed with her there. I should have, for any Controller freed from a Yeerk.

But Elle was still her normal, usual self even when she took that Yeerk out from her ear.

(I'm actually surprised you went to school today. You could have told us.)

(And make you guys look like you were hearing voices? Nah. I couldn't do that.)

She chuckled. (By the way, why were you there?)

Again. Me and my big mouth. Did I have a compulsory button to have a slip of the tongue?

(It's nothing,) I said with a dismissive laugh. (A little bird-on-bird problem back home.)

(Ok, then give me the four-one-one,) she grumped. (It's gonna be a long afternoon of spying anyway and I didn't bring a book to read.)

(It's not a big deal. A hawk's trying to move in on my meadow.)

Yeah. Just one hawk. I was telling myself not to spill any more beans. Keep calm. It's Rachel. She's probably... **not** gonna appreciate that pathetic story of how you can't stand up to a bird. But it's Rachel.

(What? He's bigger than you?)

(Actually, it's two hawks.)

Nope, you've failed, Tobias.

I sounded like an idiot the minute those words were out of my head. Back to the "old" Tobias style, who treats people to the wonderful displays of stupidity and weakness. No wonder everyone targeted me when I was human.

Rachel, of all people, I thought aloud. Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?

(Two against one. That's unfair. Want me to scare them off?)

(Nah. The second one is an old hawk. I've frightened them off before.)

A downright lie. I've never frightened off any old hawks before because none had ever flown over to my meadow. Until now.

(And the other one?) she pried.

(Eh, no worries about him too. I just haven't decided the right time to kick his butt.)

Sure. That was believable. Time to change topic. End the conversation there.

Then my eyes caught sight of the law office. And more.

(Hey, I see two women at the firm.)

(Isn't one of them DeGroot's secretary? I don't recognize the other lady.)

Neither did I. She was maybe twenty-five or thirty. With dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Not tall or short. Thin. She seemed very tan. And over her shoulder was a camera bag.

"Where is DeGroot?" she asked.

"I've not seen him the whole morning," Ingrid explained. "The only thing he said was he had some important matters."

"More important than this?"

"That's all I can say."

For a moment, the tanned lady looked like she was going to blow a gasket. But she remained as calm as possible. "Can you please inform him that I need to see him? And if he had met with Tobias yet."

(Tobias? Wait a minute, could she…)

Rachel didn't need to finish her sentence. Even I was drawing to the same conclusion.

"Of course," Ingrid answered and went back in. With nothing else to do, the woman sighed disappointedly. She certainly wasn't sure what to do next.

Was this woman Aria?

* * *

A/N: Heyo! Another update to this fanfic! :D And with a little of nostalgic from a scene of the original. Which is kinda expected that I'll have to refer to the original as I write (and try my best to change the events based around the new events).

Btw, two things to mention. 1, I have decided to make a minor change even though it's actually a big change in context. The decision is changing El's name to Elle. It's a lot nicer in writing and still sounds the same, even though I've been using El since...the longest time of Sario Effect, the original fic. I wanna apologise to the readers who've been so used to the name and I hope this change isn't that groundbreaking but still keep true to Elle's character. And 2, I want to give a big thanks to Not-So-Happy-Hufflepuff for the touching review. Thank you. I had actually put FFN on the side to focus on the AO3 version with how little response it's gotten here but I know that's not the case. There are readers here enjoying this fic like you. And I do hope you all continue to enjoy down the line in this fic towards the end. Which is why I'll be uploading four chapters today and hopefully the four three tmr or the day after.

For now enjoy the chapters! Hope you'll enjoy this and review/kudo! I really appreciate your support and feedback!


	14. The Destination

**CHAPTER 14**

* * *

My heart pounded faster than usual. My cousin was there. Someone who really wanted to take me in. Or I could be walking into a clever trap.

(Think this is Aria?)

(I don't know. Maybe?)

(She's gotta be. She asked for you. Does she look like anyone in your family?) Rachel asked.

Anyone? No. But the more I looked at the woman, the more I saw a splitting image of Rebecca. Without the tan. And the crazy curls. And the warm, wide grin.

She looked like Rebecca. So she had to be her daughter, Aria.

(I really don't know,) I managed to say. (I mean, according to DeGroot, I have some father I didn't even know about.)

(So should we follow her? See if she's the real deal.)

I didn't answer. The truth is, I hadn't really heard Rachel. I was off in my own mind, watching this woman as she waited at a taxi stand.

She said she wanted to take care of me. Why? She didn't know me. I didn't know her. We were two strangers so why? Because of some vague family loyalty thing? Maybe. I guess some families are like that, feeling connected to someone. Because they share a biological connection.

It wasn't like that with my family. Not the ones I'd met, anyway.

I barely remembered my parents. My mother disappeared and my father died when I was little. I did have pictures back when I was human. But now when I tried to remember, I couldn't recall anything about them.

It made me wonder if everything was an illusion. Whether those memories were even real or something I made up as a kid. That every child did have a father and a mother.

But I didn't. I was never really a human from the beginning.

I was a bird with the mind of a human boy. Or a boy with the body of a bird. A freak of nature. No, that wasn't right either. I couldn't be created by nature at its most contrary. I was a freak of technology. Alien technology.

She didn't know me. Not the old me or the real me.

So why would she care?

(Ahem! I said, should we follow her?) Rachel pressed.

(What? Oh, yeah. That's a good idea. Find out if she's a Controller. She'll need to go to the Yeerk pool within the next three days.)

(Ok, I wasn't suggesting we watch her continuously.)

(Maybe not. But we'll find out something today.)

(Well, I can tell you this much. She has really bad taste in clothing.)

Aria...if this was Aria...had a camera bag over her shoulder. She pulled out a compact mirror from a side pocket, adjusting her hair and checking her light makeup carefully.

(Your hair is fine. It's the dress that's the problem,) Rachel sniped.

I laughed. But at the same time, something was bothering me. Maybe I first thought that compact was like Elle's one. No, just blush powder inside.

But there was something I couldn't put my finger on…

(And there she goes.)

When Rachel said that, I snapped out to catch Aria entering a cab.

(I was hoping she wouldn't take a cab,) I said.

(Why?)

(Ever tried to keep up with a car in the air?)

(Fast or slow going? Traffic's pretty bad so maybe we can stay with her.)

(Neither by staying up in the air.)

(You have a plan?)

(I think so. And you'll think it's insane. See that van? Next to the cab. Is that a bike rack?)

Rachel laughed, seeing where I was going. (You're right. I do think that's insane. Let's do it!)

(Actually, my first choice was a cop car. But I don't see one.)

(Now _that_ is a better choice. Well, gotta do what we have.)

We dove out of the sky. My idea wasn't exactly subtle. It was actually dangerous and heads would turn at seeing birds on a van's roof.

Yes, that's right. But it could possibly work.

The Ford van was the only vehicle I could see with an empty mount. The kid bikes were placed on top.

The cab headed into a busy avenue. So did the van. Both were going twenty miles an hour in traffic. And hawks and eagles can't tail after vehicles in a straight line, over long distances. We need to turn and ride the thermals upward.

So we dove, turning a height of over twenty-something floors into pure speed.

Down, down we went. Me taking the lead.

(Line up behind me,) I hollered. (But watch the turbulence from my wings!)

Rachel did just that. We swooped down to just above street level in one smooth glide path. An airline pilot would be proud of that.

(Keep up your speed!)

(We're going faster than them,) Rachel cried. (We'll overshoot.)

(Are you telling me how to fly?)

(No, sir!) she yelled in that giddy way she gets within an inch away from utter disaster. (Hah Hah HAH!)

Then she suddenly stopped laughing.

(Tobias! The van!)

In a split second, I panicked. Because the two vehicles had to slow down at a turn.

We _were_ gonna overshoot them. Or literally, smash ourselves on the tar!

(Flare!) I swept my wings forward to kill a bit of my airspeed and opened my wings. That was enough for me gracefully flow down to the van's roof. We opened our talons and snagged the rack. That was too close-

Then the van sped off.

(WHOA!) we both hollered.

Rachel had lunged one talon on the crossbar. But the momentum took her off by surprise that she was forced off. Quick instinct thankfully helped her spread out her wings and let the wind current carry her back up.

(Rachel! Keep your profile! Surf, don't ride.)

Somehow she made sense of my gibbering and hooked her talon back on the bar. Rachel muscled her body forward into a flying profile, with her massive wings spread out.

And we were off! A red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle surfing on the roof of a van. Wings open, beaks forward and talons straining to take the pressure.

(Hah HAH! This is in nowhere strange!) Rachel laughed, high from the rush of danger.

Drivers behind and beside us stared, mouths ajar. Some quickly swerved from crashing into each other. One or two drivers even hollered at the van, jabbing their finger at us. But the Ford driver inside remained oblivious. Because he had loud rock music.

(Maybe this was a bad idea,) I worried.

(Nah. We're in traffic. Who's gonna go out of their way to get someone's attention while driving?)

(Until we stop at a red light.)

(Ah. That's a good point. We'll just quickly pick another vehicle. Preferable a cop car,) she joked. (...Tobias?)

I didn't hear Rachel again. I was too caught up with the biggest question again.

Why. I still couldn't understand Aria.

Then I thought about what Elle's Yeerk said. That DeGroot was trying to scam me.

Again. Couldn't believe I was agreeing with a Yeerk.

(What if Aria's after my 'real' father's estate?)

(Tobias-)

(Wait, hear me out. DeGroot claimed to be looking for estate plans from my 'father'. Something Aria couldn't find. Maybe they're working together to steal a kid's inheritance. Like those soaps Ax watches.)

(That's fictional. Does this Aria look like she's trying to exploit you?)

(Well, I dunno.)

(She's supposed to be a great photographer, right? They make a living taking photos for the National Geographic. Elle told me befor-)

She stopped herself. It began like any normal conversation. For a short moment, Rachel nearly forgot Elle was a Controller.

I changed the topic. Get her off the whole Elle deal. (Sure, that's one thing. But she could be broke or in debt.)

Rachel said nothing. I wasn't sure if she wanted to oppose that notion or was still hung over Elle. (Maybe… But she's your family. Maybe she really wants you.)

Maybe. All maybes.

(Sure. "Hey, Cousin Aria. You adopted a red-tailed hawk. Congratulations.")

I didn't joke lightly. I just couldn't accept that some normal human being wanted me. Me, in the entire world.

(...Sorry, Rachel. I didn't mean to-)

(Well, we're gonna have to find out one way or another. We are professional stalkers.)

If we were humans right now, I'm pretty sure she'd be throwing a grin at me. And I'd smile back. In a way, I was smiling inside.

The cab pulled into a dirt field. And up ahead was a shabby-looking building. Sure, most buildings look pretty bad from the air. All you could see were rooftops and air conditioners. But this one told an obvious story.

To any person approaching from ground level, they'd think the building's theme was about "pirates". A plaster pirate ship served as a centrepiece. It wasn't. It was nothing but a false facade that made it look like that.

At its front was a dirt parking lot with a few cars. And the cab headed there.

(I think this is our pitstop,) I said. We unhooked ourselves off the ongoing van.

Watching Rachel float up beautifully with her wings above me was...actually cool. Breathtaking. Like we were two synchronized dancers on stage. Sounds so corny but it was to me.

Now that was a photo worth more than any of National Geographic' pictures. And only I saw it.


	15. The Infiltration

**CHAPTER 15**

* * *

We were back in the sky. And there was more to this place than meets the eye. To the left was a liquor store and to the right, seemingly attached to it, was a miniature golf course.

At the back was a dirty green lagoon - just shallow water bordered by a rickety-looking wooden railing. Two alligators were sunning on the mud banks inside.

I banked down to the outer perimeter of the parking lot. A sort of marquee with big plastic letters advertised to passing cars.

ALL NEW! DEADLY MIDGET FREAK! THE LIVING RAZOR!

(That sounds familiar,) I mumbled to myself. Where have I heard that before?

("Deadly Midget Freak. The Living Razor"," Rachel quoted the sign. (What's a living razor?)

(I don't know. But I've got a bad feeling about this.)

(Deja vu acting up again?)

(Yeah. And we need to get in that building.)

(Well, this place reeks of suspicion. I know what this is. It's one of those crappy roadside zoo things. Look, that sign there.)

She swept low enough to see the garish signs clearly. I followed.

("Frank's Safari Land and Putt-Putt Golf,") I said. (Charming.)

(It's definitely a good thing Cassie isn't here. She hates these places. And I do mean that literally. She'd have us go in and free all the animals.)

(Maybe that's why Aria's here. She is a nature photographer. And there are those signs for some exotic animal. She's here to expose it.)

(I guess,) Rachel said skeptically. (But I thought nature photographers are supposed to take pictures of tigers and bears. Not activists.)

(You didn't just-)

(Hey, if she's looking for a majestic grizzly bear, I'm up for the modeling job.)

I cackled lightly. (There she is.)

Aria was at the ticket booth. And a man there clearly was unprepared for her arrival.

"Lady, I don't know where you heard that from."

"Mr Hallowell. You can drop the act. I know you have it in the back," Aria demanded coolly. "The signs are everywhere. Clearly, you're preparing for it to sell tickets."

The man, I presumed to be "Frank", wasn't pleased. "Where did you hear about that? I could have just gotten a new big iguana."

"I have no obligation to reveal my sources. But I know I'm right on the money."

"And? What do you want? You don't look like a cop or a scientist."

"I want a first look. That's all. I'll be out of your hair after that," Aria said. "Or we can do it the long way."

"You have no proof."

"No. But I can be very persuasive."

Frank grumbled. He wasn't going to budge until he spotted something in the distance, over Aria's shoulder.

"You've come at a bad time, Miss. Takeout's here."

"I can wait. And we can continue this matter while you eat."

"Yes, well...alright. Give me five."

Frank was off to the entrance. Where I spotted the familiar yellow beach cruiser.

What were the odds of seeing her there?

(Elle?) Rachel uttered. (What's she doing here?)

(What are you two doing here?)

In the sky were two ospreys. That didn't look abnormal to us, or anyone. But we were the odd one, I guess. A bald eagle and a red-tail together. So of course, Marco could easily spot us from afar.

(Marco? Cassie?) I called.

(I guess the restaurant got a call from this place,) Cassie explained.

She then examined the small zoo below us.

Uh-oh.

(This isn't what I think it is, is it?) You could hear the ire seeping through her thought-speech. Soft but it was there.

(Told you she hates these kinds of places,) Rachel whispered to me.

(Hang on, tree-hugger. We're not here for any rescue mission,) Marco reminded.

(We should! We can't let this place keep going!)

(Ok, we'll tell Jake and see what he thinks. We might even do it tonight.)

"Here is your delivery, sir."

Right at the front doors, Elle handed over a bag to Frank from her bike's basket.

"That will be 7.90," she said with her biggest customer-service smile, palm out.

Frank glanced over the contents, then suddenly turned away.

"Sir. That will be 7.90," she pushed. This time with no smile.

"And? You're ten minutes late."

"Excuse me?"

"You're late. So I get the food free."

"This isn't how it works. I arrived here on time."

Frank scorned. "Trying to talk back to me? You should watch your tongue. Don't know what I'll say about your business."

"Are you threatening us?"

"Who sends a kid to do delivery? Sounds shady to me." He smiled.

"Oh, like this whole place isn't!" she snapped. Then she gave her stern expression. "We have recorded the timestamp. And this place takes less than fifteen. Now pay us or we'll report you."

"Oh, so you do have a brain?"

"What?" It struck a nerve for some reason. El's right hand was shaking with white knuckles. "Take that back-HEY!"

Frank shoved her. He literally shoved a teenage girl to the ground.

"Oomph!"

"Go back to China, kid. I don't have time to play with you."

Elle was left flabbergasted. Angry. All she could do was watch the man walk back into his park. There were no witnesses who saw that.

Except the four of us.

(Elle,) Cassie said pitifully.

(That, that jerk!) Rachel snapped. (He's nothing but a lying, racist cheapskate!)

(I agree. But remember, guys. We're not here for anything. No rescue and certainly not to help a Yeerk get back him,) Marco said. (Though, that was too much.)

(Of course it is. Even if Elle's a Controller, she shouldn't be treated like this.)

(And? She can get her Yeerk friends to go after him. Remember, this isn't the Elle you guys know. This is the Yeerk,) he explained the reality.

That was usually the solution Yeerks take. An uncooperative human quickly becomes the next Controller. Or they ignored them when it isn't worth their time.

Elle got up, brushing the dirt off her leggings. And she said something loud in Chinese, stomping her right foot.

"I can't believe it! We were right on time."

Then her face, her mannerisms, everything switched. Calm, a little peeved, calculating. "It's not the first time humans have been deceitful. However, that was uncalled for."

"I should have punched him the moment he said that!" She made a swift punch at the air with an open palm, her right hand.

"Elle, you shouldn't misuse Liang's training for retaliation. You said it yourself."

"I know, I know. But...people like him make me angry!"

(Hold on. Back a couple of steps. She's really talking to herself?) Marco asked.

(We never saw anything like this at the restaurant,) Cassie pointed.

(Then I was right. This Yeerk has a few screws loose.)

It didn't look like insanity though. This looked like a legit, thoughtful conversation. And the crazy talk still kept on going.

"We can contact the police and accuse him of not paying."

Elle pouted. "Please! The Yeerks have taken control of every police station, right?"

"That is...correct." The broody Elle looked like her suggestion was completely shut down before it could even take off. "They would do nothing for a Werch ."

Wait, was I distinguishing her as two different Elles? That was silly.

"I want payback."

That was said in her normal tone. And in response, she spoke disapprovingly in her other tone.

"Elle, we agreed. We're supposed to be keeping a low profile."

Switch back, with her chest puffed up and right hand on hip. "Well, I'm not walking away 7.90 short! Anyone who tries to take advantage of Kong Kong's restaurant will get their just desserts."

"Of course. Once you've set your mind, you won't stop."

"Then no go?"

She pondered for a moment. "Alright. I'll go along." Then she scowled icily. Like a true Controller would. "Besides, this human will think twice about conning us."

"I thought you said we needed to keep low."

"I did. But I despise anyone who makes a mockery out of us."

Elle grinned differently. Not a cold one. Cockier. Human. "So unanimous vote?"

She nodded. "Unanimous vote."

(See? Told ya she's gonna get her friends to get back at him.)

(Yeah, genius. Except it absolutely didn't sound like it,) Rachel mocked.

(She's heading to the bathroom,) Cassie pointed.

At first, we thought she'd go in. Instead, she went to the back. Where it was dark and private. And like us morphing in a secret spot, she changed.

Not with fur, scales or bristles. She did it in a Superman-changing-in-a-phonebooth fashion. Her parka was the reversible kind, turning inside-out to a black-colored kind. El pulled down her skull cap bandana over her mouth.

A bandit in the flesh.

With hood up, she brazenly took off. Keeping to the shadows of the big plastic decor.

(Hang on. What's this? A new superhero called Spider-Woman?) Marco joked. (Which...would be cool. Gwen Stacy would totally fit that role.)

(Follow her,) I said. I was already after her.

(Wait, stop. Demorph first.) No, not demorph for me. Morph.

(No time. We're gonna lose her.) Rachel followed. I guess she was curious too. Or she found it strange I gave an order. (We can do that inside.)

(You all are insane. Just like this Yeerk!)

I guess it was a bit uncanny. Jake wasn't around to give us the orders. And I somehow decided to lead.

I didn't think actually. This Controller was just all too strange to leave her alone.

The four of us hid behind the legs of a fake plastic elephant. Not the best place but there weren't any people walking around.

The others demorphed. I morphed.

"There she is," Cassie said quietly.

"Keep your distance. She can't see us," Marco warned.

"Not with you and your loud mouth," Rachel snapped.

Luckily, Elle hadn't noticed us at all. She was completely focused on her mission, whatever that was.

"Where is that human's office?"

Elle glanced left and right.

"I think this way."

And she was off, quick on her heels. She was sneaking in just as we were following her. Nobody saw us, nobody noticed either of us.

"Elle's not going to steal, is she?" Cassie warily suggested the notion.

"Elle? Stealing?" Then Rachel thought on it. "Then again, she is a Controller."

"But would a Yeerk care about 7.90?"

"No, they wouldn't. They care about getting more hosts," Marco stated firmly.

"Let's cut her off at the animal enclosure," I said. And led us there.

Sure enough, Rachel was right about this place. It was a miserable and sad sight.

Animals were kept in cages a tenth of their size. It was dim, damp and terrible within these black-draped walls. In one cage no bigger than a house cat, a pair of lynx slept crammed up inside. A mangy fox panted heavily in his. There was an aged barn owl, an adolescent deer, a pair of sheep. All in poor condition. A Shetland pony was harnessed in a circular pen. You could see the sores under its saddle. A sign read PONY RIDES $2.50.

One cage even had a small female black bear. She couldn't rear up to her full height with how low her enclosure was.

"This is horrible," Cassie muttered.

"You know what? Change of plans. Let's get Jake, Cassie. We'll go stomping this place out of existence!"

"I couldn't agree more, Rachel."

"This 'Frank' guy is not gonna get away scott free. On animals and people. They want to treat a bear like that, I'll come back here as a real bear. Force Frank right in a cage myself! And get that 7.90 from him!"

"No! Don't do anything!" Marco hissed. "Ugh, where's Jake when you need him?"

The thing is, we all knew Rachel wasn't exaggerating. If Jake wasn't here to bring order, a big, very angry, seven-foot-tall grizzly bear was going to pay a visit to "Frank" of Frank's Safari. More terrifying after what he did.

But that was one of the many things I liked about her. It made me smile with my human lips.

We weren't the only ones who didn't like this place either. Or looked like she cared.

"All these animals…"

"Elle, focus. Once we find some scandal on this "Frank" human, the wildlife rescue will come. They'll surely put them in better conditions than...this."

"So what should we look for?" Elle asked herself.

"Well, this place is already contemptible. He must be cutting corners or falsifying legal documents on these animals. We should locate his ledger. Or something humiliating to him."

"I vouch for the second. Send them to the daily papers. He won't get out of that."

"No. The Yeerks also have the media in their grasp. They'd scrap it. I'd suggest the Internet. Cause enough of a social media uproar. It's nothing but a black hole after all."

"Wow," Marco gasped.

Rachel hooked up an eyebrow. "What? You're now finding this weird exchange of dialogue amazing?"

"No. It's the fact she's trying to get the dirt on this creep. A Yeerk. Scary."

We watched her go around a dark corner. It's weird. Four kids after one with a Yeerk in her head. This had to be testing our luck.

"V'trix, the big scary lizard Controllers are called Hork-Bajir, right?"

"Yes. They are. Why?"

"There's a small one to our right."

"What?"

Then she turned.

We saw it. In a small side room. No one was there except for the occupant.

There, in a raised cage with two spotlights intersecting on him, was a young Hork-Bajir.


	16. The Newborn

**CHAPTER 16**

* * *

He was about three feet tall. His blades were very sharp but small and not as rigid and dangerous as an adult's blades should. Like human baby teeth.

His tail wasn't as formed and long as an adult's tail. Stubby, actually. The blades on his forehead were just bumps

I've seen small ones like him. Just a newborn by Hork-Bajir standards.

And he shouldn't be at this circus. In a cage.

"What's a Hork-Bajir doing here?" Cassie asked.

"Well, he's far away from home. That's for sure," Marco uttered.

As Elle got into the light, the Hork-Bajir hooked his hands from the bars of his cages. He was staring at her with pathetic hope.

"I see," she said in her second tone. "The humans must have captured him. Explains those signs from earlier."

"What are they doing with him?"

"If the owner's intention is to keep him as an exhibit, the Yeerks would immediately take action," Elle said coldly. "He isn't the first."

"So...that means the Yeerks are gonna make him a Controller?"

"Affirmative. It is how things are."

"Not if we have anything to do with this," Rachel declared.

"Let's go. There's nothing we can do for him."

Elle wheeled around. Then she stopped.

"Elle, what are you doing?" the Yeerk demanded calmly. Her right foot didn't budge. It stayed firmly in place. "We are only here for information on that dof'sou human. Nothing else."

The stern expression deflated to a sad look.

"Can we...can we release him?"

Elle looked aimlessly with a shocked face. Even we were surprised.

Her surprise dissolved away by a serious frown. "Elle, this will attract too much attention. And my people won't take kindly to this action."

"It's just...he's gonna be like me. Like what happened to me."

"Ah… That day."

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't regret it-"

"I know. I know…"

There was a stiffness in the air. You could practically cut it with a knife.

"Alright. Just this one time."

Then her face perked up. "Really?"

The frown came back, this time she placed her left hand on her hip. "But at the first sign of danger, we're leaving. Without this Hork-Bajir. Understand?"

"...Ok." Elle turned back to the cage and squatted down. She gave a soft smile at the Hork-Bajir. "Hello."

The little one didn't respond.

"My name is Elle. Elle. What's your name?" Nothing again. "Is something wrong?"

"Seems like it hasn't learned any speaking language yet. It is small enough to be considered a newborn."

"Oh. It's ok," Elle hummed in her normal tone, trying to sound gentle. "We know you're scared. We'll bring you back to your mommy and daddy. Mommy and daddy. Ok?"

"I think you'll have more success talking to a wingless Mortron than this newborn."

"Don't be so impatient, V'trix. He's just like Luke. You've got to be patient with children. They're learning and they're really clever."

"Did you compare your four-year-old brother, a human child, to an infant Hork-Bajir?"

"Bek."

Elle stopped talking to herself and glanced back to the Hork-Bajir.

"B-Bek," he clicked timidly.

"Bek! Hello, Bek."

"Ok, remember what I said about this Yeerk have a few screws loose? Make that a dozen," Marco mumbled. "Stop acting like you care about him. It's creeping me out."

"It's just an act." Rachel didn't sound convinced. She sounded more irritated. "She's just making it easy for him to be a Controller."

"Wait. That makes no sense. She said her people are gonna buy him. Why the need of acting then?" Cassie asked.

"To deceive him. That's what. Maybe lead her to where the valley is and fetch herself a huge bounty."

Cassie was indifferent about the idea. I could tell. She was already analyzing everything Elle was doing. Something was strange to her as it was to me. We just couldn't figure it out.

"It'll be fine. Me and V'trix will take you to your family," Elle gushed.

"Vee...Vee-Vee?"

"Vee-Vee?" she scowled at the Hork-Bajir's words.

"Oh, V'trix is the Yeerk in my head. Yeerk." She pointed at her temple.

"'My head'?" Cassie repeated softly. That sentence was odd-sounding.

Then Bek's eyes widened. The word was immediately a no-no to him. With a warning click of his tongue, he huddled back to the far end of his cage. Far from the Controller.

"Ah, Bek," Elle said worriedly.

Her brooding face came back. "It seems like the first thing his parents taught him was that Yeerks are bad. As expected."

"B-But V'trix isn't a bad Yeerk. She's my friend."

"Hah! Yeah right," Rachel snapped. Which was loud to us but not loud to the Controller.

Bek tilted his head, looking a little puzzled.

Elle quickly looked a little hurt. "Elle, you shouldn't teach him otherwise. He has every right to fear the Yeerks. They've put the Hork-Bajir and other species through slavery."

"That's your people, not you."

She turned back to Bek. Bek was completely curled up at the back of the cage. No matter how nice her smile was, he wouldn't move.

"V'trix...Vee-Vee isn't going to hurt you. I'm here too. We won't take you to the Yeerks."

Those words were a little convincing to Bek. He didn't have parental guidance right then and there. So of course, he would be swayed. But he still stayed back.

"Oh, I know."

She pulled something out from her pocket.

Elle instantly grabbed her right wrist with an icy glare. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving him a sweet."

Again, the switch. "No, you will not give him my caramels."

There was an obvious scene of fighting between the hands - one was pulling the right away from the cage while the other was ushering forward.

"It's just one. I can make more."

"One becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes sixteen and so on. Do not underestimate the appetite of a Hork-Bajir. And more importantly, they're herbivores. They don't need sweets."

"Now you're exaggerating." The right hand shoved off the left's grip. Elle's fingers swiftly unwrapped the paper off without needing the help of her left. She then stretched the candy out to him. "Here. I made this."

"No, don't eat it," Marco hissed paranoidly. "It could be poison!"

At first, Bek wouldn't take the small little brown candy. Elle put it on the floor of the cage, to give him his space. She pulled out another from her pocket and chucked it in her mouth.

"See? It's good."

That was enough to make Bek cautiously tiptoe to the tiny piece. He sniffed it and wrapped his tongue around it, slipping it into his mouth. I think he just sucked on it, Hork-Bajir having no teeth. But he quickly liked it.

"You are lucky, Hork-Bajir. Cherish it," Elle hissed in her second tone, slightly less bitter than before.

"V'trix, you be nice to Bek. I've given you a sweet too. Now work your magic."

"Lockpicking isn't magic and you do know I need your cooperation-"

"It's a figure of speech. Go, go. Quickly."

Rolling her eyes, Elle took out two thin rods from her pocket and inserted them into the padlock's chamber.

She was really lockpicking. A kid from school. Our school. We all were dead quiet, looking at each other. I guess we were too stunned at what we were seeing. Or that we could break her concentration if we spoke and she'd notice us.

Click!

Elle unlocked the cage and carefully stepped in. Bek timidly hunched further back into a ball.

"It's ok," she said, stretching out her right hand. "Let's go home."

Bek waited. Looked at her eyes and patient smile. He loosened himself up, maybe realizing he could take this chance and flee.

The door was open. He saw it.

"You can go if you want."

That surprised him. That surprised us too.

Elle simply kept smiling. "We'll stay with you until you're out of harm's way. And if you're still afraid of us when we're out of here, then we'll leave you. Ok?"

And that sealed it for Bek. Hook, line, and sinker.

He took her hand. A Controller's hand.

"Bek, no," I muttered.

"It's ok," Marco assured me quickly. "We can grab him when she's not looking."

"Alright. Time to leave," Elle cheered.

Then she shook her head as she led Bek out of the small room. "Easier said than done. This place has security cameras everywhere. One look and the Yeerks will assume this was an inside job."

"Hm... How about we have the Andalite Bandits take the blame?"

Marco was ready for an outburst. "Wh-hmmph!" But Rachel immediately slapped her hands over his mouth.

"They're always going around causing trouble."

"I suppose that's one angle. But I don't want to take any risk."

"Hmmm..." Elle's bright eyes darted about. Then an idea hit her. "How about releasing all of these animals? No one would expect that."

" All of the cages...? Hm, it's a solid plan but it's gonna take me a while."

"Maybe Bek can help."

Elle hunched her eyebrows. "How?"

She kneeled down to Bek, pointing at one of the locked cages. "Bek, can you help us? We need to let these animals out."

Bek didn't follow at first. Elle held up one of the padlocks and gave a slicing motion with her right hand.

"Can you cut it? Cut it."

Elle's expression hardened when nothing happened. "It's a clever thought but I think he's too young to know how to use his blades-"

Shink!

The padlock in her hand sliced in half. Elle retracted her hand back with a shocked glance at the bright-eyed baby. He gave a light chirp before heading to the next cage.

Kinda like how ducklings immediately knew how to swim after they've hatched.

"Good Bek! Have at it!"

"I can't believe this is actually working."

Cut, cut, went all the padlocks Bek could find. He saw it like a fun kid's activity, each slice getting faster and faster. Elle followed close by, swinging each door open.

The ill-treated animals didn't leave just yet. They were too afraid or exhausted to go. But one by one, they slowly stepped out.

What was happening here?

Marco yanked Rachel's hand off him. "Do you see this? What's going on?"

"I dunno. I really dunno what she's doing!" Rachel snapped quietly. "This is not a normal Controller."

"She's really helping them."

It was something we'd least expect to hear from Cassie. No, maybe we should have. She had this smile on her face. That the animals were being freed.

By a Controller. Let that sink in. A Controller.

It's like that one scene from Jurassic Park, where the archaeologists get to see real dinosaurs for the first time. So for us, it was the first time seeing a Controller do something, well...chivalrous.

Even I was amazed.

"Hey!"

We froze. But it wasn't us someone had spotted.

A man, an employee of the place, saw Elle.

* * *

A/N: :3c A very different direction regarding Bek, eh? Told ya I'm trying to make the original story as very different as possible with whatever opportunity I can find.


	17. The Escape

**CHAPTER 17**

"Stop what you're doing!"

Elle was in a pickle. The only way out of the enclosure was past the man. Who was now walking up to her. She quickly pulled Bek behind her, being his shield from the scary human.

"We have to help them!" Cassie uttered.

"Shh!" Marco hushed but it was too late.

"What? Who else is with you?!" the employee demanded.

But that was a distraction Elle needed.

All of a sudden, she grabbed one of the cages and with all her might, pulled it down.

 _KA-CLANK!_

The loud noise was enough to spook the animals. Even Bek. The frightened Shetland pony neighed loudly and galloped right into the man.

He could do nothing but watch it come hurdling towards him. The pony flung him back like something you'd see in a comedic movie.

The birds flocked and the four-legged animals fleed. Cacking. Roaring. Running for freedom.

"Go my pretties! Be free!" Elle cackled.

"Elle."

"Oh, right, right! Wait! Bek!"

Amongst all the chaos, Bek scattered out of the dark room. He was scared out of his wits. A baby Hork-Bajir with no one to guide and protect him.

"Morph! We gotta save him," Rachel hollered.

"I'm not responsible for anything if this goes horribly wrong!" Marco quickly declared.

It was a solid plan. One we all had no choice, even if Jake was around to lead us.

But I couldn't morph. I could only demorph. I couldn't turn into a threatening animal or anything other than a hawk.

That was all I could do.

Elle was already off and out of the room. The man was unconscious. No one to see a grizzly bear, a wolf and a gorilla appear out of thin air and hurry out of the enclosure. And I had already taken to the air.

"What the-"

"RUN!"

"AAAAAH!"

Visitors and staff were not only surprised by the fleeing small animals but the big and dangerous ones as well. They panicked. Ran. Tumbled over each other. The putt-putt land became a horror scene for Attack of the Animals.

"What is going on?!"

Up ahead was one person I least expected. No, I should have. She was here after all. Aria had come to see the chaos unfold.

"What in the world-?" The barn owl flew right into her face. "AAAAH! GET THIS THING OFF ME!"

It wasn't like the owl wanted to attack her. It was still weak from years without able to stretch out its wings and soar. Its flaps were the equivalent to a wobble, up and down, up and down.

Elle ducked past her, frantically searching for Bek. I found him and he wasn't alone.

"Come here, you little freak!"

Up ahead was Frank. The man who cheated Elle out of paying. And he had Bek.

"Hey!" Elle hollered. That got his attention.

"Who are you?!" He didn't seem to recognize her but he was bent on stopping her with his free stretched-out arm. "Are you the one who-?!"

Elle didn't let him finish.

She picked up speed, charging head first at Frank. With a hop off a table, she was in the air like a sprinter over a hurdle.

 _SMACK!_

One foot right into Frank's face. She literally kicked him in the face!

Frank was down fast, curling into a ball while his hands were on his bleeding nose.

(Whoa!) Rachel hollered. (No, you know what? That's what you get!)

Elle quickly took Bek by the hand.

"Not so fast!"

"Whoa!" Elle was taken off her feet, her grip off Bek's hand. Frank had quickly grabbed her by the collar and yanked her back. "Run! _Run!_ " she yelled but Bek froze up on the spot.

"You'll pay for this, you little-"

Just when he was about to take Elle's bandana off, a large, furry claw slapped on his shoulder. Frank turned.

To the angry face of a 6-foot-tall grizzly bear.

"GRRROAWWR!"

"AAAARGH!"

Elle was free. But even she was petrified to see an 800-pound animal towering over them with a loud, booming growl.

(Now pay back the 7.90!) Rachel demanded loudly.

Frank screamed again, turning white as a sheet. "A talking bear! WAAAAAHHH!" And he ran away in sheer terror.

"Elle!" Bek grabbed her hand again and both sprinted. Away from the scary talking bear.

(Wait!) I yelled. (Bek, stop!)

He didn't listen. Maybe because he was so afraid that the only person he could trust now was a Controller.

No, he shouldn't trust her. Even if Elle might have rescued him. He should be with us and taken back to his home.

"Stop. We are your enemy, child," Elle said in her second tone but not in the usual threatening manner. More out of concern and shock.

But Bek wouldn't let go and the two kept running. Elle then took the lead.

(Bek!) I yelled again.

(Why isn't he listening?) Rachel asked as we followed after them.

(Ok. We've caused mass hysteria and the Yeerks are gonna be here any minute. Just grab the Hork-Bajir and let's get out of here,) Marco hollered.

"The Hork-Bajir infant is escaping!"

Three men blocked their path up ahead. Two carried standard handguns. The third carried a weapon I'd seen too often before: a Yeerk Dracon Beam.

(Who's to say they aren't already here!)

"Stop!"

Elle knew who they were just as we did. Human-Controllers. And she fled down to the golf course, keeping her grip on Bek's hand.

"Andalites!" One of them didn't give chase. He spotted Rachel and Marco heading towards them and leveled his weapon at them-

I only spotted the wolf at the last second. Jumping on the Controller with its big jaws clamped down tight over his gun hand.

"Aaaahhh!" he screamed.

(Good timing, Cassie!)

(Yes but don't just stand there! Go! Go!)

I was already off. I was in my element after all - the sky. People were scrambling out of the park. Screaming. Blocking the entrance.

So Elle and Bek could only go the opposite direction. Away from the exit.

 _TSEEWW! TSEEWW!_

A warning shot. Elle huddled Bek closely to her, putting her back between him and the Controllers' shots. Running across the cut green lanes and ducking around the pirate-themed obstacles.

"Stop, Bandit!"

The Controller had mistaken her as one of us. That would have been funny if it wasn't for the fact Bek was in sheer danger! And in broad daylight.

Right there in the air, I knew. Elle was Bek's only hope out of here.

(Left! Go left!) I yelled. And really hoped she'd listen.

At first, she seemed to with a quick glance to her left. Then she saw one thing I had noticed quickly. And Elle changed course, pulling Bek forward to go ahead.

One obstacle was a course with a large tunnel inside for the putt-putt ball to go through. It was a weird amalgamate of a lighthouse and a windmill put together but it was enough of a cover for a small human and Hork-Bajir to go through.

"Go! We're right behind you, Bek!"

Elle didn't follow through the tunnel. She grabbed one of the windmill's blades and with a starting heave, at just the right moment as the Controller came closer…

She let it rip.

 _WHOOOOMPPF!_

 _THUD!_

"Garmph!" His head jolted back, red droplets flying off.

"Andalite Bandit!" his comrade yelled.

 _BLAM! BLAM!_

Elle ducked into the tunnel and bolted, shielding herself from the wooden splinters.

(Oh, no you don't!)

"Ah, ahhhhhh!" The last Controller's gun was easily swatted out of his hand by a bear's slap. He was defenseless and outnumbered. All he could do was run away.

(Now the last one!) Rachel cheered.

But that was all three. Until I realized she meant Elle, who was all the way at the course's fence. The end of the line.

"Cut! Cut the fence!" she hollered in her second tone.

Bek did as he was told.

 _FWAAPPP!_

The flimsy wire fence was no match to a little Hork-Bajir's blades. Despite being in a terrifying situation for just a newborn, he was quick to understand simple things. Things that were saving his life.

Beyond the putt-putt land was a stretch of trees. A good enough cover for two small beings to lose a couple of adult human Controllers. But not much of an obstacle to animals that are so used to many different kinds of terrains.

(Gangway!)

Marco gave a running start on all four. With his shoulder, he rammed through the chain link. The hole Bek made got much bigger for the others to crawl through.

I had Bek and Elle in sight. (They're not far from you guys. Five feet ahead, 1 o'clock.)

"They're still after us!" Elle hollered.

(They're not chasing you anymore. Stop Bek!)

(Tobias, it's not the Yeerks or Elle he's afraid of. It's us,) Cassie hollered from below.

She raised a good point. Looking back down, I was seeing a wolf, a bear and a gorilla chasing after a small Hork-Bajir and a kid Controller. How would anyone feel if they had the entire zoo on their tail?

"Grrr! Enough! I'm not gonna let you hurt him!"

"Elle! What are you-?!"

Elle completely stopped, putting Bek right behind her. She held up her right hand in a way like a karate kid, crazily full-bent on confronting three large creatures.

"We, we won't let you eat him! Or, or..."

But she was obviously afraid - just putting off a show to us.

(Finally! Just scare the pants off her and we can grab Bek,) Marco proposed.

(You got it! One bear roar coming up!)

(Wait! Hang on a minute!) Cassie's cry was in vain.

Rachel was already off. If anything, this was her big opportunity to save Elle. Right here, right now. That was what she wanted - what anyone of us wanted for any Controller we knew. To be free.

A raging bear should have been enough to scare the Yeerk right out of her ear. If it didn't, at least she'd flee and Bek would be safe with us.

Any second now, Elle would be bolting like any sane human. She was particularly in tears. But she was rooted to the ground with gritted teeth.

Rachel bellowed right on top of her.

"GRRROOOAWWR!"

The roar of a bear is a frightening thing at close range. Elle had her eyes shut but the holler was so ear-piercing, her right immediately covering her ear.

(Alright, Yeerk! Step out of the human. Now!) Rachel demanded.

The hiccups came. Soft but they were there. Elle's body was trembling, all except her left hand. Even after all that, she wouldn't budge.

Rachel quieted her growls down but she was intent on doing what had to be done. Because this was a Controller. A Yeerk had her in its grasp.

I know. Even if a Controller had no complete will of their own body, they could still see and hear everything. The Elle inside got screamed at by a grizzly bear. But it was the only way.

That was when everything changed in Elle.

Her left hand reached out to her shaking right and lowered it down. Her frightened, watery-eyed look turned to a cold, dark one. Her hunched posture relaxed down to a languid but unbreakable form.

She stopped whimpering.

Then came the second tone.

"I can hear you loud and clear. Shouting down at us like that was unnecessary."

Elle raised up her cold gaze at Rachel. A bear didn't scare her anymore.

No, this wasn't Elle. I don't know why I had just forgotten that she was still a Controller. And I remembered quickly the kind of alien we were dealing with.

"You want the Hork-Bajir child, don't you, Andalite Bandits?" the Yeerk asked.


	18. The Werch

**CHAPTER 18**

We were talking to Elle's Yeerk. Face to face.

This was a thin line we were on. For one thing, we didn't have Jake and Ax around. For another, this was a different kind of situation with a Yeerk.

A charging bear didn't faze her. Not even a gorilla or a wolf. She didn't retaliate or run. She just firmly stayed between us and Bek like a wall with a face that read, "I'm done with this."

She was unpredictable. Anything could go wrong. Elle might just decide on the spot that Bek was good as dead.

"That is why you are here," she spoke in her second tone. "For Bek."

(Oh, you got that right. And for you too, Yeerk!) Rachel hollered.

Elle went on the defense, keeping Bek back from us.

(Wait, stop!) Cassie jumped in. (I know this is a Controller. But this is still Elle. We can't be hurting her.)

(I keep telling you. This is not Elle. She has a Yeerk in her head,) Marco explained tiredly.

(But something isn't right. She's not like other Controllers.)

(No, we should be taking that Yeerk out of her,) Rachel yelled. (We've known Elle for so long and you want her to stay as a host?)

(That's not what I meant.)

(Then this is our chance to help her! She doesn't have to be a Controller anymore.)

(Hold it. You two are getting too emotional for this,) Marco stepped in. (She's not the friend you two knew.)

And everything was out of control. Everyone was arguing. Without Jake, we pretty much fell apart.

I was quiet. Keeping an eye on any sudden move El'd take.

She was weaponless. And she couldn't be planning to run from three dangerous animals. Elle didn't yell "get away from me, Andalite scum!" or decide on a tactical retreat. Nothing.

No, there was something. I saw the small details in Elle's face and body. One second, she'd give a worried face. The next, her coldness came back. Her right arm clutched protectively around Bek, still behind her, and her left stood forward dauntlessly.

Elle wasn't subtle like other Controllers. Her expressions showed two completely different personalities. She spoke in two different tones. She acted with two different behaviors. Not one.

Like there were really two different Elles.

She's been saying "we" the entire time. "We", "we", "we"! What was with this "we" business? She certainly wasn't making any sense.

And I couldn't concentrate with _all this noise!_

(Oh, would everyone shut up for one second?!)

Everyone shut up. They looked at me. And Elle definitely heard my yell. Her coldemeanorur was replaced by a wide-eyed, shoulder-hunched one.

I didn't care. I just wanted to know what was going on.

(You have nowhere to go, Yeerk. The only choice you have is to cooperate with us,) I demanded.

Elle searched for me. Of course, she wouldn't be able to find me as easy as the others in plain sight.

(Now. Hand over the Hork-Bajir and we can resolve this peacefully-)

"Are you the leader of the Bandits?"

(What?)

"The leader. Or am I to assume you Andalites can't hold a civilized conversation?"

Ah.

Me and my big mouth again!

What have I done? We didn't even have Jake here! I turned to the others for help but they were silent.

It'd be bad enough if they spoke up and declared themselves as leader. That meant they'd be taking Jake's spot. That was like...uncharted territory there.

(I-I don't think that's the relevant question here.) I should have just kept quiet. No, I had to fix this! (If I am the leader, that places the onus on you to convince me. And if I'm not the leader, well, either way, you want me to listen, right?)

Nothing of a reaction out of her. Elle completely looked unamused.

(Really, you're just hoping we have to check with our superior as a means of stalling.)

"...So none of you are the leader."

How much of a hole was I digging us in?!

"Wow, Andalites are pretty bad," she whispered in her normal tone. Elle nodded at herself with her stern, apathetic face.

(I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to-)

(We've got no chance. Just pretend to be Jake for a day!) Marco hollered privately.

Pretend to be our leader.

 _Are you kidding me, Marco?!_ And the longer I was hesitating, the more impatient Elle was getting.

I looked down at Bek. The scared, little Hork-Bajir had escaped from a cage and the park. But he certainly wasn't out of the woods. He wouldn't be able to go back home without us.

Bek's safety was right now our main concern.

Alright. Do it for Bek.

(Yes.) My voice was shaking. I'm not the leader type. I'm more of the follower type. I've never led my entire life. (I am. The leader. Of the Bandits.)

(Dude, you're not giving any vote of confidence.)

 _Well, you're not helping either!_

(Shuddup, Marco!) Rachel hissed privately.

"Hmph." That seemed to convince the Yeerk. "Alright. Then we can work to some agreement."

(Oh, like we would-!) Rachel was ready to bolt but Cassie quickly stopped her by putting her wolf body in front of her.

I continued, trying my best to impersonate Jake's strong leadership as much as I could. (And why would we listen to your demand?)

"I wouldn't care whether you did or didn't. But you Andalites wouldn't be involved unless it's Yeerk activity," Elle explained. "You're here to rescue the child."

(Of course.) Not really at first, but she didn't need to know that.

"Then that's the trade-off. The child is yours if you let this human go."

Again, the weirdness. 'This human'. Not 'let me go'. Not first-person.

(Let you go? Please!) Rachel laughed. (What makes you think we'll let you walk away?)

"You don't have any reason to keep a _Werch_. Or that I have any obligation to fight you."

That word. _Werch_. Elle's Yeerk has been using that word like it's a matter-of-fact. A truth we couldn't deny.

(You're just giving him like that?) I uttered. (No strings attached?)

(Hey, wait a minute-) Rachel started.

"What is there to wait? Your priority is the child. Not me."

(Why? You're a Yeerk,) I asked.

She hunched up an eyebrow, looking boredly offended. "And what? I take the child to my superiors? Bring your heads to the Council? Please. You Andalites should know that's nothing but a death sentence."

(Death sentence?) Cassie repeated.

(Wish Ax was here to explain to us what a _Werch_ even means,) Marco grumbled quietly.

"No one will come for me. And nobody will come for you. Not even me. That's a fair trade. Do we have a deal?"

Just like that? It couldn't be that easy. But it was the only way to get Bek safely.

(We're here for Bek. Get ready if she tries anything,) I said privately to the others. (Alright. We have a deal.)

"No." Suddenly, Elle's cold mannerisms changed. She stepped back frightfully, her clutch tightening on Bek.

(Oh, so now you're changing your mind?) Rachel growled.

"Andalites...they don't care about humans. O-Or about you."

It was a drastic change in character. So obvious like the several times before. Elle would make a convincing actor in showbiz.

But her words were odd. Her saying "you". Was she talking about us? Or Bek?

(Would you drop it already? There's no point in acting human.)

"Elle."

It was a soft whisper, as if she wouldn't expect us to listen. Her left foot stopped even when Elle's body wanted to go away from us. Her left hand reached for her right wrist tightly. Her eyes had that bitterness in them but her voice had none of it.

Then she calmed down instantly. "Right now, the Andalites are the only ones who can take Bek to safety."

Her anxious face came back. "But-"

"We can't bring him back to his family. We don't know where to start." The chilly Elle averted her gaze back down to Bek. "And the Yeerks will take him back… Please, understand. For his sake."

Elle's coldness changed again. To regret. To sadness. And finally, understanding. "...Ok. They can take him."

She then glared at us again. But it wasn't a Yeerk's kind of frown.

It looked...human.

"You better not do any funny business to Bek."

(Funny?!) Rachel hollered. (Look who's talking-)

(We won't,) Cassie cut in. (We'll take him home.)

(Just what on Earth is going on here?) Marco whispered.

(We can find out later. Right now, we need to get Bek away from here,) she reminded and then in public thought-speech, (Come with us, Bek.)

Bek shrunk further behind Elle, trying to be invisible from us. "E-Vee. No go."

Elle scowled. "Now he's combined both our names together? Unbelievable."

('Our' names?)

She didn't answer to Cassie's question. Instead, Elle smiled gently.

"It's ok, Bek," she said in her normal tone. "This is as far as we can take you."

She tried to pull her hand away but his tiny hold tightened. The claws may be dull but it was enough to scratch her skin like a cat.

Elle flinched at the beads of blood. Then she kneeled down.

That sudden movement got us back to our stations. Anything happens to Bek and we'd take him away from the Controller by force.

"I know what it's like to be scared and away from home. I've been in a cage once like you were."

We settled down, watching Elle pat Bek on the head. We all were thinking the same thing.

This was a trick, right? To get Bek to be on her side. We couldn't trust the word of a Yeerk.

"But it's ok. You're safe now. You're not alone. Just like me. Someone good took me out of my cage too."

"...Vee-Vee?"

"Yes. Vee-Vee brought me home."

Bek glanced at her admiredly, and then timidly at us. He eventually understood.

"You be good, ok? The Andalites are going to take you home."

She nudged him forward and took five big steps back. That gave Bek enough courage to go to us.

I couldn't believe it. She really just handed Bek to us.

(Hi, Bek,) Cassie started. (It's ok. We'll take you back to the valley.)

The word, valley, got his attention. He knew what that was.

It was home. Freedom.

(Hey,) Rachel barked angrily. (Where do you think you're going?)

Elle had just turned away. The smile was gone. "Leaving. That is the negotiation we've agreed on," she said in her second tone.

(Yeah, right. We let you go and you'll tell all your friends you've met the Bandits.)

"'Friends'?" Elle's face darkened. "How ludicrous. Have you forgotten the meaning behind the word, _Werch?_ There is no reason for me to fight you for my people."

(No reason? What do you mean?) I asked.

She scorned. Like we were insulting her. "What I mean? Stop pretending like you don't know."

(Pretending?) I snapped.

(Talk about the pot calling the kettle black,) Marco whispered to us privately.

(Wait-) Cassie began.

"You have the child," Elle cut her short. "There _is_ no point for us to stay."

('Us'. That's what you've been saying this whole time. You've been acting...different from other Yeerks. Why are you talking to yourself like that?)

"Why should that matter to you?" Elle asked coldly.

(Um, well-)

"Maybe I am an insane Yeerk. I'm sick in the head. And I don't care what Andalites or my people think about me."

(And are you? An insane Yeerk or not?) Marco asked.

"Well...if I told you anymore, I'd have to kill you."

The threat seemed like it was enough for us to stop her. Something to probe us. But it didn't sound like a threat. It sounded like a simple joke from a bored person.

And Elle just walked away. Leaving us to digest everything.

No weapons. No turning around to backstab us. No signal to other Yeerks to jump on us. Nothing.

And the crazy Controller was gone.


	19. The Calm

**CHAPTER 19**

Bek was safe. Now the next thing was getting him back home. Where the _freed_ Hork-Bajirs were.

Easier said than done.

It took a while for Bek to warm up to us. Especially when the others had to demorph and three small humans out of nowhere scared him.

Eventually, we brought him back to Cassie's barn. It wasn't that difficult trying to hide a little Hork-Bajir from sight. As long as we avoided the roads and busy places, we were fine.

"Ok, my parents are busy with house calls." Cassie shut the barn doors. "The rescue groups managed to catch some of those animals from the park. They're bringing them here."

"That's fast," Rachel pointed.

"I'm just glad they're not in cages anymore. We've got an hour or less to move out."

"We'll be out of here once Jake and Ax are here," Marco said. "Now the most important question of the day: how did a Hork-Bajir end up there?"

"Only he'd know. Bek, can you tell us?"

Bek was still wary. He wasn't with Hork-Bajir, just three human kids and a hawk. And like a toddler who needed a security blanket, he curled up in a ball and hugged his little tail.

It was kinda cute.

"You're safe. No one's gonna hurt you again."

He looked around the barn. He wanted a familiar face. Not ours.

Then he asked the most unexpected question ever.

"E-Vee? Where E-Vee?"

"He's still hung over about Elle," Rachel said with a hint of worry and a bit of disgust.

"It can't be helped. He was all alone so he saw her as security." Cassie prompted a pat on Bek's arm. He flinched like a small kitten but relaxed once he understood he wasn't in danger.

"Right. Security."

"Well, he's gonna be in a lot of trouble if he keeps idolizing this Yeerk. Ok, Bek. Alien lesson 101 time," Marco started off. "Elle is a bad person. She is a Controller. Yeerks are the people who enslaved the Hork-Bajir. And we're the good guys who helped freed the Hork-Bajir."

It looked like Bek understood most of that short lesson. Then he beamed happily.

"E-Vee freed Bek. E-Vee 'good guy'."

Marco frowned. "No. E-Vee isn't good. E-Vee's a Yeerk. Yeerks equal evil."

"You can't tell him otherwise after what we saw," Cassie said.

"And like Rachel said before, she was trying to get more info with Bek's trust. You know how naïve Hork-Bajirs are. Even the kids."

 _Whack!_

"Hey!" Bek had swung his stubby tail at Marco's shin. Not as powerful as a grown-up's tail swing. More like a child's foam bat.

"You asked for it," Rachel uttered.

"Back me up here, Xena."

She bit her bottom lip, looking conflicted. "...She did give Bek up to us."

"Maybe she slipped a tracking device on him. Or, or maybe she sent some Yeerks to tail us."

(Marco, I've been watching your backs,) I said. (Nobody was following us.)

The more we listened to ourselves, the more we were losing confidence on the idea of El being that supervillain from the comics. Or at least, we all wanted to think she was just as bad as Visser Three.

If you saw the Yeerks as that, you wouldn't feel sympathy for them. You can't feel anything for them. You can't hold back.

"Well, it's a Yeerk. All Yeerks are bad."

And that's when Cassie folded her arms with a disapproving face.

"Ok, most Yeerks are bad."

"That excludes Elle's Yeerk too. You can't deny that she isn't like the others."

"It's too early to know. She's a complete mystery with her being a _Werch_. Whatever that means."

 _Werch._ That word. I should have asked Ax yesterday at the barn. Ax's the only one who would know that.

And right on cue, I spotted two birds heading to the barn from the rafters. A peregrine falcon and a Northern harrier.

(They're here.)

The two birds swooped gracefully through the small window and landed down like fighter jets across the runway of a ship. Their arrival did spook Bek to hide behind a bay of hay.

(You guys are early,) Jake said and began to demorph. Ax did the same.

"Oh. You know. It was a quick recon," Marco said sheepishly.

"Really?" he said once his human lips fully formed. He waited for the demorphing to finish. Because when you're in-between morphs, you pretty much can't speak. "So what did you guys find - uh, why is there a small Hork-Bajir?"

"Well-"

(Jake.) I hesitated. I shouldn't have cut Marco off there. It would have been easy for him to take the reins and explain. But I had to tell Jake. (There's something you should know.)

Since we left the park, I couldn't stop feeling bad inside. I pretended to be Jake. Be a leader so the Yeerk would buy it. I should have done something else but I did it and that didn't sit right with me.

So I told him everything.

Marco, Rachel, and Cassie added to the story too. How Rachel and I followed Aria to the park. About Elle making a pit stop there and suddenly deciding to take action on a horrible man like Frank. About Bek inside a cage and being saved by El. Everything.

(And that's it.)

I waited. Everyone was quiet, except Bek who lost interest in the conversation. The silence made it more terrible for me. Jake had to be judging me.

He had that look. He wasn't upset or angry. He didn't interrupt at any point of the story. He was calm, listening to every word we said.

"It's not his fault, Jake," Rachel came to my defense once I ended the story.

"I know," he said. Still composed as ever. A true leader unlike me who was put under pressure. Rambling like an idiot. "It was necessary given the circumstances."

"Oh, sure. A hostage situation is always peachy," Marco droned.

Jake then glanced at me in the rafters sincerely. "You did it for Bek. And you did good to keep up with our appearances. That's all that matters."

I heaved a sigh of relief. (I am never doing that again.)

"What? I can't appoint you as second-in-command?" he joked. "You did alright with how everything went."

"Yeah," Marco agreed. "We were a bit out of line back there."

(It would have been wise to follow her. We don't know how true her word was,) Ax finally spoke out.

"Try smuggling a baby Hork-Bajir around town without drawing attention," Rachel said. "Bek was a handful for the four of us."

"E-Vee," Bek chirped.

"His parents aren't gonna be happy," Marco exclaimed grimly.

"He's really enamored with her," Jake said.

(And he shouldn't be,) Ax gruffed disgustedly. (This Yeerk is your enemy. It doesn't matter how many times she has saved you.)

Bek glared angrily at him. "E-Vee good guy!"

(No. She is not. Can someone explain to him?)

"He's just a kid," Cassie defended. "He doesn't know any better."

(He should know better. We are at war. A Hork-Bajir with that kind of thought is going to lead the Yeerks to the valley,) Ax scoffed. (Young one, repeat after me. Yeerks are the enemy.)

Bek puffed up his cheeks frustratedly but compelled. "Yeerks are bad."

(That is goo-)

"But E-Vee saved Bek. So E-Vee is good."

Ax's four eyes widened. He was left baffled. (I...what? No, that isn't right! All Yeerks are bad.)

"Not E-Vee."

"You better give up, Ax-Man. It's clear he knows about the Yeerks. It's just this one's the exception."

"It is strange for Elle to grow a conscience like that. From everything you've said, sounds like she's not working with her people," Jake explained.

(Her own kind have been pretty hostile to her. Chapman and that guy outside the law firm,) I said.

"With that kind of attitude of hers, even I'm pretty peeved with her," Rachel complained irritatedly. "Going on about us not touching her because she's a _Werch_."

That got Ax's full attention. (A _Werch_?)

"It's what she's been calling herself as."

"What does it mean anyway?" Marco pushed. "She's making herself sound like some big shot."

(Well, anyone with that name would have a reputation. But not a good one. Did she also refuse to attack you?)

"Yeah. She did. Why?"

Ax nodded, absorbing the information like it was double-confirming his hypothesis. (Then we do not have anything to worry about this Yeerk.)

"Why do you say that?" Jake asked.

(Her _Werch_ status. Not even her own people respect her. _Werch_ is a Yeerk term for criminal.)

Criminal.

That was a word I didn't expect for a Yeerk.

We've learned a few Yeerk words and their meanings, thanks to Ax. Each had their own weight, feeling, and usage. Every time we heard the word, Visser, there was a sense of dread and alarm for us. Because it was a high rank for the ones at the top. A dangerous enemy.

 _Werch_ had a different weight compared to Visser. The word, criminal, to me, didn't sound as dangerous as Visser but it was still unsettling.

Elle had a criminal in her head.

I was startled. Cassie was shocked. Jake was mildly concerned. And Rachel was appalled.

"Told ya this Yeerk was bad news," Marco gloated.

"Hold on. Back a few steps up," Rachel muttered. "This Yeerk's a criminal?"

(Yes. A Werch is a demoted Yeerk with little chance of redeeming themselves. They have committed the most atrocious acts to the Empire and are mistreated as the lowest of their hierarchy. The name alone carries that much distrust.) Ax then threw out a little tidbit. (It is also loosely referred to as useless or the defeated.)

"Huh. Yeerks with law," Marco droned. "That's kind anti-climatic."

(The name isn't given lightly, from what I've heard. Only to superiors. Any other who has done a similar crime as theirs, either petty or dangerous, is simply disposed of.)

"That's a bit awful," Cassie exclaimed.

"But why keep a _Werch_ around if that's the case?" Jake asked.

(I do not know. Perhaps they have vital information to keep themselves alive. Or they hold something of value. Regardless, they don't live long.)

"So is she still dangerous, Ax?" Jake reinforced that question.

(No. She cannot do anything to regain back her previous status. She is a criminal for life.)

"Then she's none of our concern anymore."

That was a sentence Rachel didn't want to hear. She _definitely_ didn't want to hear that.

"For now, we need to bring this little guy back to his place and call it a night."

And the conversation turned back to the most important person in the barn. All the tension was gone when we looked down to the small beady childish eyes.

"Yeah. We can talk more about Elle tomorrow," Cassie added.

"No. There is no more to talk about." Jake put down his foot. "Ax just said she's a criminal the Yeerks don't care. And we shouldn't waste our time with her. She doesn't know who we are and we have no reason to go after her."

"But-" Rachel started.

"There is no but. Because of this one Controller, you three almost lost it back there."

"Really, man? You're including me?"

Jake ignored Marco. "If it wasn't for Tobias, she might have figured things out. Or worse. Rachel. Cassie. I know you two care about this girl because you know her. But you have to let this one go."

And that was the end. Cassie and Rachel were distraught in their own ways and with their own reasons. But there was nothing to argue anymore. Jake has made his mind.

Jake and Ax moved out first. Cassie cooed Bek to go with her, saying he was finally going home. All to keep him out of the seriousness. Marco just strolled out casually.

Only Rachel and I stayed back.

(I'm sorry, Rachel,) I apologized quietly. (All I was thinking of was Bek.)

Rachel didn't look at me. No, I shouldn't think of her as shallow. She was annoyed at how things went. And with the real meaning behind the word, _Werch_ , I can imagine her frustration.

(If we had found Bek earlier-)

"It's ok," she stopped me, taking a deep breath. "We couldn't endanger him over Elle. I wasn't thinking."

(You wanted to help her.)

"Yeah…" She then walked out, disappointed.

I was back to feeling terrible. Not as bad as before. I guess I was a bit...happy. Proud. Jake was pleased with me handling that situation.

But Elle became an off-limit. Because we almost didn't handle that situation without Jake. And all that talk Rachel and I had about saving Elle from her own Yeerk...it became pointless.

So I couldn't help but still feel responsible.


	20. The Paths

**CHAPTER 20**

* * *

I stuck to the clouds like always. The others had a long trek ahead for them, with Bek at their side. We were on our way to one very specific place in the woods, far from any trail.

No one but us knows the place. The only way anyone could discover it was if the Ellimist told you where the way was. But even that alone wouldn't be enough.

I had been there twice before. The first was when the Ellimist showed us all the way. The second was when I went there only to hear an amazing story. And I would have gone again if I didn't decide to follow DeGroot yesterday.

Because the Ellimist had put a fairy-tale spell over this place, making it impossible for any mere mortal to stumble onto it. Doesn't matter if you knew its whereabouts. Even with all my hawk vision focused, all my innate direction-finding ability carefully attuned, I had a hard time finding it.

The spell he had cast made the eyes slide away. Made it that ears couldn't hear. Made the wind still that feathers didn't feel. Completely hidden from the world.

That was the valley of the Hork-Bajir. The _free_ Hork-Bajir.

It all started with a couple who had escaped their Yeerk slave masters - Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak. With how much the Ellimist had intervened...well, he'd never admit he intervenes in the affairs of other species. But Jara and Ket had evaded the Yeerks and we helped them avoid capture. Now they stay at this concealed valley, free from their masters.

Since then, others had come. Some were escapees. Others had been born into freedom. Like Bek.

But Bek doesn't have morphing powers. And I doubt a newborn knew how to get back inside. Or how he even managed to leave the valley on his own.

"So how do we get a baby Hork-Bajir into the valley? He can't morph and fly like us," Marco stated the inevitable.

"The only way we can bring him back in is whatever way he remembers," Jake said.

"Bek, do you remember how you got out?" Cassie asked kindly.

Still no response from him. In fact, he wasn't even paying attention.

"Can't blame him for not answering." Rachel folded her arms with a worried face. "After everything he went through."

"And we can't stay here overnight searching for a way. Tobias, can you fly over and talk to the Hork-Bajir we have one of theirs here-"

"Or how about this?" Marco interrupted. "Tobias morph into a Hork-Bajir and get Bek to tell him the answer?"

"Really? Isn't that exactly what we said about Elle?" Cassie pointed.

Honestly, I had to agree there. What Marco suggested was...demoralizing. Not just to Bek but to the freed Hork-Bajir. Getting Bek to tell me how he left the valley meant I was stooping to the same level as Elle. That she made Bek comfortable and safe to lower his guard.

The odd thing was she didn't go back on her word.

"That's because she's got a Yeerk. We're good Samaritans bringing Bek back home."

"But we didn't unlock that cage. Elle did."

"You're really not gonna let this one go, aren't you?"

"Hold on, guys," Jake stepped in. "We already agreed Elle is none of our business."

"She should be," Rachel grumbled. Cassie had that look of concern on her the moment she said that. She knew that tone. We all did.

"Bek?"

The voice wasn't one of ours. It came from above us. And something big jumped down from the treetops.

We knew what it was. An adult Hork-Bajir with two blades. And I recognized her.

"Bek! Bek is here!" Ket hollered loudly. "Toby was right! Friend Tobias found Bek!"

And just like that, as if all of Bek's worries were gone, the little guy hurried over to Ket. He was safe again. He was home.

There was a sense of warmth from watching this. Ket was a mother herself so she knew how to comfort little Bek in the Hork-Bajir's own way. Not like hugs or kisses, it was more like snuggling their noses to each other. And bit by bit, each of us was smiling. The reward in bringing Bek back home was worth it.

The Hork-Bajir may look like death and destruction on two legs but they aren't savage monsters and neither are they geniuses of the galaxy. Those blades their seven-foot-tall bodies have are designed for stripping edible bark from trees.

That is not what their Yeerk slave masters want them for. The Hork-Bajir have been made into shock troops for the Yeerk Empire.

"Well, I thought my idea was solid," Marco had to interrupt the sentiment.

Another Hork-Bajir came from the bushes from behind. And Jara was happy to see me.

"Tobias! Friend Tobias is here!"

One more joined him - Jara and Ket's child. The young Hork-Bajir girl named Toby. Named after me.

She could have been another Hork-Bajir but it was easy to spot her among her parents. Any Hork-Bajir had this dopey, dim expressions of Teletubbies. But Toby had the kind of eyes that looked through you and made you feel like you needed to pull a robe over your brain.

Because she was what the Hork-Bajir call a "seer".

I landed on a level branch above their weird, forward-raked head blades. (Hi, Jara. Hi Ket. Hello Toby.)

"Toby say you come," Jara explained. "Toby say, Tobias will come with Bek."

"And Bek is here," Ket added.

"Hey," Marco had to interrupt the sweet moment. "We did some work too. Why is he taking the credit?"

And Rachel elbowed him in the gut.

"We have not forgotten about Tobias' friends. The humans called the Animorphs. _Fellana._ Thank you for bringing Bek back," Toby said gratefully.

"How did Bek get out?" Cassie asked. "I thought this valley was sealed off."

"Only if you know how to get in and out by our way. Not as birds," Toby explained.

"How long had he gone missing?" Jake added the next question.

"For two days. We had found his tracks leading out of the valley. We were going to put out a search for him. We had feared he would have been taken. Or killed."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," Marco chided.

"E-vee saved Bek!"

The three Hork-Bajir glanced down curiously at the chippy little Hork-Bajir. And the rest of us, you can imagine our shock.

"E-vee?" Jara tilted his head like those dogs who looked confused from hearing a sound.

"Oh! That's just his...imagination friend! He's been going on it nonstop!"

Rachel facepalmed herself. Then again, I don't think we could have come up with anything better than Marco's attempt.

"Friend?" Ket repeated.

"Yeah. A baby Hork-Bajir alone with nothing to enrich his little brain? Of course, he'd make up a friend."

The Hork-Bajir clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Like I said, they're long on decent, kind, sweet and generous, but a bit short on witty, clever and brilliant. If Marco spent a day with them, he'd lost his mind and run for the hills. Just to look for someone who'd take a joke.

"Don't think too much of it."

"E-vee not made up," Bek barked. "E-vee good Ye-!"

"Ah! Ah!" he yelled, trying to drown down the word, Yeerk. "You've been away for two days now. Gotta be tiring for a young Hork-Bajir like you. But now Bek's back home. Everything can go back the way it is. And you can forget everything that happened to you."

"Marco right," Ket cut in. "Bek's Kawathio is waiting."

Bek's eyes lit up. And for a moment, he wailed sadly. Happily. It sounded like a cross between a baby crocodile from Animal Planet and a beluga whale.

"His parents, right? They're waiting for him," Cassie chided with a smile.

Ket nodded.

"Well. It's a good thing we've found him. Another day or more and Bek could have led people back here."

(Good point. The Ellimist has laid some kind of weird spell here,) I tossed that in.

Toby looked wary. More so towards my friends. "No. He would not know the way back."

"But you do?" Jake added. "You said so earlier."

Toby regretted her slip up. "Yes. We leave to free our brothers and sisters. How else has the Hork-Bajir come to freedom?"

That made me stare. (I...I just assumed it was Ellimist at work.)

She grinned the frightening Hork-Bajir grin. "We make it happen. We go at night and raid places where we know Hork-Bajir are."

"The Yeerk pool," Marco said straightforwardly.

Toby nodded. She turned to me. "We owe Tobias a great deal. You gave us freedom."

(But?) I said a little sarcastically.

She cast a cautious glance at my friends again. Mostly at Jake. She wanted this as a secret. So that we wouldn't go messing around and cause her trouble for her liberation.

"The place where we liberate Hork-Bajir is a secret Yeerk facility that is being built. It is not in your city. It is in a human town beyond the far end of this valley."

That got everyone's attention. Right into Animorph work.

"We should look into this. If it's in the works still, that might be something we can look into," Jake swung back into his leadership.

"No," Toby quickly interrupted, surprising Jake. "You will attack it."

"We have to if we want to put a thorn in the Yeerks' side," Rachel said nonchalantly.

Toby shook her head worriedly. "It is very important for us to continue freeing our brothers and sisters. Look at us." She waved an encompassing arm towards herself and Jara. "We are few. We must become many. To fight the Yeerks. And…" She let it hang there.

(In. Cre. Di. Ble. You "seers" really are something,) I said harshly.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed with me. "You're looking forward to the day when the Yeerks are gone. And you need enough numbers for humans too if they decide to come after you?"

Toby looked proud, giving a smug glance at Ax. "The Hork-Bajir trusted Andalites to save us from the Yeerks. The Andalites failed."

(Now, see here. My people-) Ax was fired up to give his own side, no doubt a speech of Andalite history but Jake stepped in. Which Toby was grateful for.

"The Andalites took care of their own. Not the Hork-Bajir. We must do the same. We are grateful to the Animorphs. But do you say we should trust all humans?"

Well, she had us there. It was way too easy to see the day when the Yeerks were defeated and these Hork-Bajir were left behind on Earth. What would happen to them? Humans didn't exactly have an unblemished record of tolerance for different races, extraterrestrial or not.

Take this valley for example. Before it was taken by the Hork-Bajir, it had probably been inhabited by Native Americans.

Cassie didn't agree. "Not every human is bad. Most are in the same situation as your brothers and sisters you're saving. They don't have a choice."

"Yes. The same is said for the Hork-Bajir."

"Honestly, I have to agree with Toby's logic there," Marco said. "Who's to say nobody will slap the rest in cages like Frank did to Bek."

At first, Cassie was still not keen. But she fell short on her first opinion. She couldn't deny what Frank had done was horrible. To animals, kids and even Hork-Bajir.

The seer turned to Jake. "I implore you. Promise me that you will not destroy the place."

Jake thought on it. Really, he did. "I get it. What you're doing is noble. But we can't make promises."

"Jake, she just said this is important to them," Cassie pointed out.

"I know. But we do this alone. And we can't involve the Hork-Bajir too." Toby really didn't like that but Jake persisted. "We all want that day to come. But we're doing it our way if we want a fighting chance against the Yeerks."

Toby was ready to object but I stopped her. (Let me talk to him. Convince him that we won't do anything unless you approve,) I said privately. (You have my word.)

She had the kind of look that was the equivalent to a human's glower. She looked even more dejected at me for taking his side. But that quickly changed when Jara stepped forward. Toby may have been the brains, but Jara and Ket were the heart of this tiny community.

Jara lifted his goblin face to me. "Tobias ask the Hork-Bajir. Hork-Bajir give. Always. Forever. Anything. Even life. Jara Hamee never forget."

Toby nodded her agreement.

(Hey, what can you do? With people like you, we pretty much have to try and save. Even for those who need help.)

Jara smirked happily. "Thank Tobias again," he continued. "Thank Animorphs. Tobias save Bek."

Yeah… Only I didn't save him.

I thought back to what Elle did. Willingly unlocked Bek's cage. Took him out of the park. Shielded him from the Dracon Beams.

I didn't save Bek. We didn't save him. El pretty much saved Bek alone.

All we did was finish the job. It sounds crazy but I couldn't see it any other way.

"Come, Bek," Ket said. "Home."

"Yes! Yes!" Bek said excitedly. And _zoom_ he went up a tree.

"Whoa!" Rachel yelped. No kidding. The rest of us were amazed at how fast the little guy went. Did newborn Hork-Bajir immediately know how to climb? Ket followed after him, not as fast as lighting speed but she was still quick to keep up with Bek.

"And I thought they hold onto their mothers like marsupials," Cassie chided.

"Well, our work here is done," Marco declared. "What say we relax for the evening?"

"It's never done, Marco. You know that," Jake stepped in, with his serious face.

"Let me guess. This Yeerk Pool, right?" Rachel chipped in.

"Really? Don't we have enough on our plate?" Marco complained. "The Hork-Bajir are dealing with it. I don't see any problem with that."

(You guys go ahead,) I told them. (I need a minute to talk to Toby.)

Jake nodded. And the five clustered together to listen to what he had to say. No doubt to discuss about the facility before they'd take off.

I swiftly leapt and flowed to another branch, catching up to Toby. (Toby. There's something you should know. We didn't even know Bek was missing.)

"And you found him. That's all that matter."

(Yes, but…) Oh boy. She wasn't going to like it. (It wasn't us who release Bek. It was a Controller.)

Toby reacted. No doubt just as surprised as we were. But she thought on it. Looked at me hard.

"You say the truth. You'd never lie."

(That's a big assumption coming from you, Toby. I can lie.)

"Would you?"

(No. Not to you and your race… You got me there.)

"Of course," Toby said proudly. And that made seers all the more scarier. "A Yeerk let Bek go?"

(Yes.)

"Her name is E-vee?"

(Bek calls her that. But she is an odd one. She talks to herself. Vocally. In private. It's like there are two people, not one.) It didn't seem like Toby got what I was saying. I didn't know what I meant either. I just sighed. The mystery around Elle was just as confusing as the mystery with my two relatives. (She's probably bonkers in the head that she just decided to do that.)

"Was she?"

I refrained myself from saying yes. Because it wasn't true. (I don't know. I can't tell If it's a trick. She gave Bek to us. Just like that.)

Toby was surprised. "Were you followed?"

(No. We made sure. She just left. Never heard of a sympathetic Yeerk before.)

Well, there was Aftran. But again, one Yeerk. No other Yeerk has ever been compassionate. I was biting on my own words.

"No, it's unheard of… But seeing Bek here, perhaps, you're right."

Now that's something I never expected out of Toby. (Never pegged you as one be open-minded on them.)

"I'm not. The Yeerks are still our enemy. I will not hesitate to kill this Yeerk even if she had released Bek."

(Toby. Her host...she's just a kid. Like you. Like me.)

This time, there wasn't much from Toby's face. She didn't reject the idea but she also didn't accept it. But she understood where I was going. "It's also peculiar for you to be open-minded on the Yeerks."

Now she was turning this around? Great.

But I couldn't deny that. (I guess I just can't let this one go. It's something I've never seen in Yeerks…)

She nodded. "Tobias," Toby then stopped me before I was ready to head off. "Be careful with this Yeerk."

I snorted. (C'mon. We've dealt with so many of them. One Yeerk isn't gonna be a problem.)

Toby shook her head. "She is not dangerous. However..." She looked concerned. "Everything is different now."

(What do you mean?)

"I expected you to come. Help us find Bek. But instead, you brought him back without knowing. Because he was released by a Controller." Toby glanced endlessly at the horizon. "I saw two paths instead of one."

Now that was ominous, coming from a "seer" too.

(And you think something's off with this Yeerk?) I asked. (We've been wondering about that this entire time.)

"No. Not the Yeerk. Not the host," Toby explained. "But something else changed… Something I cannot see." She let it hang.

I thought on it. But really, I couldn't figure it out. This was all some mystic stuff that Toby knows best, not me. But I still thought more.

Everything has felt kinda "different". Not just the déjà vu but also Elle herself. She's been stumbling at the right place at the right time. She had been dropping around to make her deliveries but how could she have known? No way has that been a coincidence.

Toby might be right about her being connected somehow. The question is "what".

(We'll be careful, Toby,) I reassured her. (We always have been.)

* * *

A/N: Heyo all, sorry for a long quietness but here are three chps up. I do hope to get more up soon but in the meantime I hope you'll enjoy these.


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